


JOURNEY TO UTOPIA

by starry_1117



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:15:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 63
Words: 87,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25560442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starry_1117/pseuds/starry_1117
Summary: ❝love is such a bitch.❞a story about pursing dreams alongside with a one-sided love.© starry_1117 | 2020[lowercase intended]
Relationships: Choi San/Reader, Jeong Yunho/Reader
Comments: 77
Kudos: 101





	1. Chapter 1

_**"this is how i feel about you."** _

**-twilight**

"let's play truth or dare!"

"okay!"

two excited children sat facing towards each other on the floor of the room in their pajamas. it was the middle of the night and the girl's parents were sleeping soundly, but the two friends couldn't get a wink of sleep with their energy surging throughout of their bodies.

facing the window, the boy slightly turned his head to the side to avoid the bright light emitting from the moon. with his beautiful side profile in view, the girl could not help but stare at the magnificent view before her. the way the moonlight sharpened his jawline, the way the moonlight brought out his lovely brown eyes, the way the moonlight sparkled onto his light skin, the way the moonlight caused her heart to race at the sight of her best friend.

it was as if she fell in love with him all over again.

yet never once did he romantically look at her.

never once did he stumble his words when talking with her.

never once did he blush at the sight of her.

never once did he ask her parents to hang out with only her.

never once did he shyly hold her hand or hug her.

and she knew why.

"jeong yunho, truth or dare?"

the said boy pondered a little at the choices before answering. "truth."

acknowledging the regret building within her, she sighed. _this is it, all or nothing._

"do you like someone? if you do, what is her name?"

the question ignited an explosion of redness along his cheeks as if he was thinking about her at the very moment. he fiddled with his fingers, avoiding eye contact with his childhood friend sitting in front of him.

in the softest voice possible, he called out to her. "eunbi, please don't make fun of me."

she wanted to plug her ears, to cry her eyes out, to run out of the house, but she stayed put.

she had to,

for him.

she crawled over to his side and wraps her arm around his shoulder. "i would never do that to you, yunho. it's okay if you don't want to answer the question, let's just go to sleep and pretend nothing happened tonight."

she almost stood up to head over to her bed until she felt her hand being tugged to sit still. she looked over to see the boy, still not looking at her, holding her hand that was on his shoulder. "no, i can't hide it from you forever. you deserve to know."

at his gentle actions, her hopes were slightly rising.

maybe she was simply making herself worry over nothing.

she obliged to his request and awaited for his answer, giddy at the thought that he liked her all this time. a small smile crept onto her face at all the possibilities of them being a couple. oh, the things they would do together hand-in-hand.

"it's... it's your friend, _kim siyeon_."

eunbi could hear her heart shatter that very moment.


	2. Chapter 2

**_"people want it,_ **   
**_people dream about it."_ **

**-long journey**

"eunbi-nie! we're finally here!"

the said girl rubs her tired eyes to adjust her eyesight to the sunlight, seeing the large school hovering over her. her friend squeals in excitement as she grabs her hands and jumps in joy. "our dreams have finally come true!"

eunbi simply yawns in response before the excited girl yanks her into the campus.

after a year of begging and convincing, eunbi and her friend, siyeon, are allowed to go to high school in seoul with the permission of their parents. even though their daughters have spent their freshman year at their normal, hometown high school, they acknowledged their talents and dedication for their future and decided to provide them with the best education to become successful in the entertainment world.

siyeon leads the sleepy head to the headmaster's office, where they will receive specific instructions on their enrollment. her small hands shake with happiness with the thought of her best friend and herself reaching their goals together.

once they have arrived, she knocks on the door as permission to come inside, which was granted with a quiet mumble. the girls enter the room nervously and take a seat in front of the headmaster's desk while the male lifts his gaze from his newspaper.

"well hello girls," he says with a smile. "welcome to kq performing arts school. you must be kim siyeon and park eunbi if i am correct?"

they nod their heads in response.

on the side of his desks, the headmaster grabs two folders with their names on them and opens them to review their information. "so siyeon wants to be in the dance department while eunbi wants to be in the vocal department?"

once again, they confirm the information with a nod.

"it's rare to have 2nd year students transfer to our school." he caresses his slightly long beard while skimming the papers. "that's fine though."

he gently places the folders on his desk and leans towards the girls, eyeing both of them before resting on his comfy chair. his gaze drifts away from them and observes his room in deep thought. siyeon looks at eunbi, trembling in fear, while the other taps her foot impatiently.

as if an idea has popped in his head, he stops looking around and slams the table, startling the transfer students before him. "do you girls know one reason why kq performing arts school is a popular choice for training into celebrities?"

siyeon raises her hand. "sir, is it because of successful idols that come from this school?"

eunbi smacks her own face with her hand after hearing her friend's dumb response. "siyeon, that is not correct."

"then what is?" the headmaster raises an eyebrow at eunbi, curious of her answer.

she sighs. "every semester, this school holds an evaluation for their students to test their abilities _live_. there is an actual audience that watches the show, a group of professional judges that evaluate the performances, and a tv crew that broadcasts everything. it is a very popular program not only in korea, but everywhere else around the world. this process is not specifically for entertainment, but it's to rank the students in classes of lowest to highest: class f to class a."

he nods. "that is correct. in the beginning of the school year, however, it is only freshmen who go through the process at this time."

eunbi realizes where the situation is heading and groans. "please headmaster, please don't make us-"

"i've decided to add the both of you girls into the freshman program."

siyeon covers her friend's mouth before the girl beside her curses loudly.

"the both of you need to be evaluated in order to be placed in the class you are fit for; therefore, it is reasonable to go through this process."

the headmaster then flicks his hand at them, shooing them out of the room, so he could continue reading his newspaper.

but only one leaves the room.

the remaining girl does not move from her seat, determined to avoid her public debut. "headmaster, did you not see my small favor i added on my papers?"

he removes his focus from his newspaper once again and looks up at eunbi. "i did, and i also reviewed your video you sent."

"then why do you insist on my participation in the program?" she pleads.

"because you have talent," he simply says. "this will be a stepping stone to your career, so why do you object?"

she abruptly stands up from her seat, hinting her annoyance at the man's ignorant behavior. "because i want to start with foundations," she begs desperately. "i would not show improvement at such a high level of education."

 _liar,_ she scolds herself _. it's because you don't want to go to class every day seeing_ ** _him_** _._

he huffs and rolls his eyes at the stubborn girl. "well then, if you want to start at the bottom, you'll have to be _good enough_ to be at the bottom."

silence seeps into their conservation for a few minutes, not one looking at one another. the frustration between the two of them seeps from their ears as the redness of their faces drains away. they finally calm down from their argument.

eunbi crosses her arms and pouts. "you really are the worst, uncle."

he shrugs at the statement. "rules are the rules. just because you're my son's friend doesn't mean you get special treatment."

she sighs, knowing that he is correct with that statement.

nonetheless, the girl grabs her belongings and bids goodbye before heading out of the room, but unexpectedly bumps into someone in the process. she stumbles backwards, rubbing her nose in pain and glares at the person in front of her.

"yah! watch where you're going-"

their eyes widen at recognition when they make contact and they take a step back from one another. the memories of that night flood into her mind, tears threatening to fall down her face. her breathing rate slowly rises as she places her hands on her chest to calm herself down.

 _out of all the people, it had to be_ **_him_ ** _._

she's face-to-face with her childhood friend, her heart-breaking crush, **_jeong yunho_**.

"eunbi!" the giant embraces his childhood friend in a tight hug. "what are you doing here?"

"she's one of the new transfer students," the headmaster replies in her place. "i called you up here so you can give the two a tour around the school since you're familiar with them. you'll be excused from all your classes today."

the boy looks over his friend's head and nods. "okay dad! i'll see you later!"

yunho yanks eunbi out of the room before the awkward atmosphere arose in the room. after they escaped the room, he hugs her again while jumping up and down.

"i can't believe you're actually here!"

feeling siyeon staring at them, the girl smacks his back to release her. "bro, let me go. i can't breathe."

he stops jumping, but he keeps his arms around her leans close to her ear so only she could hear. "please let us stay like this for a little bit; i can't look at her right now."

_and there you go, another indirect friend zone._

she sighs for the umpteenth time and gathers all her strength to push him away, running to hide behind siyeon immediately after.

"finally." siyeon playfully rolls her eyes as she pats her friend's head in reassurance. "now that the reunion is done, would you give us a tour around the school, jeong yunho?"

a slight blush arises on his cheeks at the way his name rolls of her tongue, causing him to look to the side and rub his neck in embarrassment. "s-sure. f-follow m-me."

the two of them begin making their way around the campus while one of the girls lags behind the pair. she knows that if she were to match their pace, she would be interfering with one of the moments yunho can be with his silly crush.

they both of them forget about her, only paying attention to one another. they crack jokes, laugh, and smile with each other. it is as if they are the only ones in their little world. all the girl from behind can do is watch from afar.

even though seeing him smile alongside the girl of his dreams hurts her heart...

eunbi is happy as long as yunho is happy.

because that's what friends are for.


	3. Chapter 3

**_"we're still young and wild."_ **

**_-_ wonderland**

"would you guys like to meet my friends? we will be hanging out after school."

it has been a few minutes since eunbi, siyeon, and yunho finished exploring the entire campus of kq performing arts school. with nothing else to do, the three of them are sitting underneath a beautiful cherry blossom, talking to one another, to wait for school to end.

siyeon flashes him a smile, nodding at his question. "sure! i don't have anything planned for today."

"i'm busy today." eunbi raises her hand to catch her friends' attention. "i have my work shift happening a few minutes after school ends."

yunho shoots her a questioning gaze. "work? but didn't you say that your parents are paying for your apartment and giving you money every month?"

siyeon rolls her eyes. "it's because she's stubborn and doesn't want to live the life of a teenager."

the girl ignores her remark and answers yunho's indirect question. "i just want some extra money, that's all."

the school bell rings before anyone could speak another word. the students seep out of the buildings chattering to one another about their afternoon plans or bidding their goodbyes. with time ticking, the brunette stands up and picks up her belongings to head towards her workplace. "it's time for me to go. i hope you guys have fun with your hang out!"

eunbi points at the boy. "make sure you keep siyeon safe, okay? i'm going to beat your ass if you don't."

he raises his hands in surrender, complying to her request.

and with that, she rushes out of the school.

the real reason she has a part-time job is to keep her busy- an excuse to avoid yunho. she can't hang out with him if she's busy. if she can't hang out with him, she will not see him often. with that, she can finally move on.

plus, she will be earning some money, so that is a win-win situation.

the girl arrives at the building sweating and panting as she opens the door to the cafe. the bell jiggles when the door moves, signaling the workers that someone has entered. the cashier looks up to see the girl swiftly place her eye mask on and he grins at her.

"hurry up van! your shift is starting soon, so get changed!" the male exclaims while preparing to tend to the next customer.

she politely nods at her co-worker, flashing him a small smile. "i will, chimmy!"

and she rushes into the changing room.

unlike most cafes, all the workers are addressed by a code name at magic shop to keep their private life a secret- especially the lives of seven handsome men running the place. they wear character-themed masks to conceal their identity from their customers as they interact with them, giving the customers an imagination of their faces.

because of their popularity, they never hire female workers, for they worry that they use their job opportunity to uproot their mysteries.

but park eunbi is a different story.

she knows every worker behind the mask by their real name and their face.

because this cafe is a family business.

when the girl exits out of the room, she appears with a black t-shirt as she does a little hop in her black converse to pull up her black jeans, letting the fabric stick onto her skin. her grey and white apron loosely hangs onto her neck while she attempts to tie her hair in a ponytail with a similar-colored ribbon, which reveals her color-coordinated eye mask.

someone from behind approaches her and helps her with her sloppy knots on her apron. "van, you need to tie your apron better. you're going to ruin our image with this unprofessional look."

"sorry koya," eunbi apologizes as she continues to put her hair up. "i was in a rush to my shift."

once they finish fixing her appearance, the brunette turns around for her cousin, namjoon, to examine her presentation before giving her a thumbs-up. he comes up to her and playfully punches her forehead, causing her to let out a fake cry. "hurry up kid, we need someone to pass out the drinks. kookie at the moment is entertaining the customers."

hearing that, the worker nods and goes to her station.

she spends her work shift carefully lifting up each drink and calling out the name written on the cups as she awaits the customers to claim their beverages. once in a while, she has people come up to her to hold a conversation, which lessens the boredom of this shift.

from afar, she can observe her cousin, jungkook, interact with the customers with his bunny smile. all the ladies fan their cheeks whenever he approaches them as the men crack jokes with him. eunbi props her arms on the counter and balances her head on her hands, amused at the sight before her.

as time passes, a large order is placed in front of the worker and she scrunches her eyebrows at the sight of it.

_well that's a lot for one person._

she picks up one drink and rotates it in her hand until she spots a name. not recognizing the name, she mindlessly calls out the customer.

"nine drinks for jeong yunho!"

 _wait_ , she blinks multiple times before re-reading the name. _j_ _eo_ _ng yunho?!?_

in response to her shout, numerous chairs are pulled back and the chattering of people slowly proceeds toward her. although the group of people hasn't noticed her, she recognizes the tallest member of the group as well as the girl tagging along, already knowing that this encounter is going to be a mess.

the talking stops once they arrive at the counter, meeting the girl behind the grey and white mask. eunbi can feel her nervous behavior begin to rise to the surface, but she manages to muster a small smile.

"hello there, are you here for the drinks of jeong yunho?" she squeaks while mentally scolding herself for being too obvious.

fortunately, they did not acknowledge her and simply answer the question with a nod. the worker then lifts each drink, recites the type of drink, and passes it to whoever raises their hand at the order.

after she distributes the order correctly, the group of high school students return to their seats. her eyes follow the figures of her two friends who were close by each other. every time yunho inches closer to siyeon, eunbi's heart cracks a little.

_this is not what i signed up for._

she lets out a painful sigh.


	4. Chapter 4

**_"i'll get past it someday."_ **

**-promise**

"hello, i'm wooyoung! i'm a regular here, but i've never seen you here before."

after the ironic encounter with her crush, a male stands before the grey-white themed worker with his hand hovering between them. eunbi is taken back at the sudden customer, but she conceals her startled reaction with a small grin.

he's one of yunho's friends, she recognizes as she reaches for his hand and shakes it.

being the polite person she is, eunbi introduces herself to the customer. "i'm van! i'm a little bit new to this cafe and i only work part-time, so maybe that's why you haven't seen me."

they release the handshake after their introduction, just to be interrupted by a pink-themed coworker. "van has a fan? that's a first."

"that's not funny kookie," she pouts and softly punches her cousin's shoulder, causing him to let out a fake cry.

the younger one rolls her eyes at his immature behavior and returns her attention to the customer. "sorry, kookie can be very bothersome. did you want something from me?"

and with that question, the boy sheepishly rubs his neck and avoids eye contact. "c-can i get to kn-know you?"

kookie and chimmy, who's still at the cashier, drop their jaws. even eunbi herself.

her face blooms into red as her body goes stiff. "i-it would b-be a pl-pleasure!"

the two walk away from the counter, where kookie calls all the workers to watch them, and settle themselves at a two-seated table, which is a few seats away from yunho's friend group. they can feel the stares burning into their backs while they nervously fiddle with their fingers. someone from wooyoung's table whistles at them.

"i apologize for this awkward situation," eunbi speaks up first. "this is... my first time."

"no! don't be!" wooyoung's eyes widen, surprised at her sudden apology. "it's my fault for requesting you."

awkward silence seeps in the conversation once again, the both of them looking around their surroundings instead of the person in front of them. their ears catch on the sighs of disappointment from both parties.

she begins to recall the basic description of wooyoung that yunho provided her under the cherry blossom tree.

jung wooyoung: second year, dance department, known as the playboy of the group.

she internally scoffs at the information, seeing that the last part of the description does not play account in the boy's characteristics.

then, an idea pops into the girl's head and she looks at the boy. "wooyoung-ssi, since you're a regular here, who's your preference here?"

"chimmy," he immediately says. he covers his mouth with his hands at the sound of himself exposing his fangirl side. "sorry, i never really talked about this with my friends; it's their first time here."

her lips pull into a sweet smile while she reaches out for his fidgeting hands. "well then, i'm always here if you want to talk about this type of stuff."

she unexpectedly causes the customer's face to burst into red due to the skin contact and her words, so she instantly let go of his hands. "oh my goodness, i am so sorry for rushing things-"

"it's okay!" he interrupts as he holds her empty hands. "it just took me by surprise."

she sighs in relief. "anyways, why is chimmy your bias?"

he beams at the question and lets everything escape his lips. "he's very well-rounded: he has the looks, the dance moves, and the vocals! he has such a bubbly personality and his voice is so silky that everyone falls for. his signature smile always makes my day and he can be very funny sometimes."

eunbi develops an urge to laugh as she listens to him, shutting her mouth as tight as possible to prevent any noise from coming out. no offense to wooyoung, but the way he describes _her brother_ makes her cringe to the max. she never knew that this man has an effect on everyone around.

nonetheless, she continues to smile at the fact that he looks happy talking to someone about this topic.

 _i hope we can be good friends when we meet at school_ , she wishes silently.

as the rambling continues, however, she is slowly getting annoyed hearing about the good things about her brother. all those things he has that she doesn't...

makes her envious.

it makes her realize that compared to her brother...

she's a nobody.

she begins to build a feeling where she has been lacking. she begins to feel self-conscious of herself. she begins to hear her negative thoughts quietly seep into her mind.

she begins to think that maybe yunho doesn't like her because she isn't pretty enough.

maybe yunho doesn't like her because her personality isn't appealing enough.

maybe yunho doesn't like her...

**because she isn't good enough.**

but before her intoxicated thoughts become overwhelming, a small voice sings in her mind.

_"i want you to be your light, baby. you should be your light."_

and that is all it takes to rid her unpleasant mindset.

eunbi snaps out of her deep thoughts and returns to reality, where wooyoung has just finished his long explanation about everything he loves about chimmy. he innocently stares at the worker as he awaits for a response from her, still holding her soft hands.

"wow," she manages to say. "there are a lot of things you like about him."

he chuckles at her reaction. "yeah, no one can beat him on my bias list."

"oh?" she raises an eyebrow and leans towards him, leaving their faces a few inches away from one another. "is that a challenge?"

"no," he shrugs while his smile changes into a smirk. "but if you interpret my statement as a challenge, i'm all for it."

"challenge accepted then."

confidence surges throughout her body as she leans back on her chair as she clears her voice and warms up her throat a little. her lips pull in a sly smile and her eyes glimmering in mischief, intriguing the curious boy. their hands separate once the girl leaves her seat and heads toward the small stage that is behind her.

her cousins and her brother, who were watching the interaction the entire time, rush to the control center on the side of the counter to adjust the lighting on the stage.

eunbi drags a stool to where she wants it to be and adjusts the height of the microphone stand while her hand holds an acoustic guitar. tapping the tip of the microphone to hear if it's on, everyone directs their attention to the stage.

"hello?" the grey-white themed worker greets awkwardly. "i hope you guys are having a good time here at magic shop!"

she can see the female customers rolling their eyes and flat-out ignoring her, causing her sheepishly lets out a chuckle. "as you can see, this is my first time being up here, as i will be performing a song for you. i hope you enjoy!"

she glances at wooyoung and flashes him a smirk.

_i'm going to ruin your bias list._

she settles herself into the stool behind her and strums the guitar a little before playing the song. the guitar melody flows throughout the cafe with some heads nodding to the beat of the song.

then, she opens her mouth and sings.

all the chattering dies out, only hearing eunbi's voice ring throughout the silence cafe. all eyes are on her now.

as the most hated worker at magic shop, no one knows her talents. she was disregarded and ignored whenever she was working a shift. they all assumed that she was talentless, useless, and was hired out of pity; that she was using this opportunity to be closer to the seven men.

but her voice is so captivating, so beautiful...

so ethereal.

it is as if she was gifted by the heavenly skies above them.

they can hear how much effort she puts into the song with the change in her tone, her expression, and her strumming of the guitar. they way she enunciates each word with delicacy satisfies their ears.

"now promise me, oh, oh," she sings. "several times a day, oh, oh."

"even if you feel that you are alone, oh, oh.

don't throw yourself away, oh, oh

oh, oh, oh, oh."

she takes a deep breath before singing the ending of the song.

"let's stop here for a moment

intertwine our pinkies

and promise me now, oh, oh, oh, oh."

and with the last strumming of the guitar, everything goes quiet. the audience sits with their eyes close as they listen to the final chord resonate in their ears. the girl on stage catches her breath from her performance, contented with the outcome.

she forgets that she is on stage to show off one of her secret tricks to a specific customer, believing that she is standing under the spotlight for a different reason...

to remind herself that she made a promise to herself to move on.


	5. Chapter 5

**_"i've never felt this way before."_ **

**-illusion**

"one and two and three and four and!"

numerous footsteps echo throughout the dance room as they follow the beat of the countdown. panting rings in their ears and the stench of sweat roams in the air, which is an unpleasant sensation to be experiencing.

the girl groans in annoyance when the stomping and the yelling increase in volume, covering her ears with her hands. her eyelids scrunch together in hopes of falling asleep in the noisy atmosphere, but the loudness is too bothersome. she lifts her upper body up from her lying position on a row of chairs and rubs her tired eyes.

since siyeon and eunbi are second year students, the headmaster of kq performing arts school did not place the girls in the freshmen class, whereas they are strictly for the first year students. but with the evaluation process happening in a few weeks, the girls are left with no class to attend at school. not wanting the students to roam around school or disturb classes, the headmaster decided to have them choose a class to stay at during school hours.

siyeon quickly chooses for the both of them without her friend's consent, consequently bringing them to class a of the dance department.

and because of that, eunbi has met some of yunho's friends.

the vocalist has been hanging out in the back of the dance room trying to entertain herself for the past few school days while her friend joins the dance sessions with permission of the dance instructor. the vocalist tries sleeping her boredom away; however, she gives up after an hour of attempting to sleep because of the noisy room.

she glances at her phone to see that she is at 20% of battery, causing her to let out a defeated sigh. with her phone out of use, she only has one option left: watch the dance practice.

from what the dance instructor has informed the brunette, they are currently practicing their opening performance for the evaluation process. the dance is formatted where the students in red are performing all together in groups of two, specifically in boy-girl pairs. she feels sympathetic to those who are uncomfortable in the situation.

her eyes take a glimpse at everyone practicing when she spots her friend learning the dance with a guy since she is filling in for his partner.

specifically, yunho's partner.

having the two of them together, eunbi watches them practice a section of the dance perfectly in sync. she knows that her two friends are fast learners when it comes to dancing, making her proud of them.

but that doesn't hide the fact that her heart stings at the sight of them.

"okay guys! 30 minute break starts now!"

everyone sighs in relief before heading toward their belongings to grab their water bottle and their towel. hearing someone settle themselves down on the chair beside her, eunbi immediately stands up from her seat and begins to power-walk away from them.

"siyeon, i swear to god get your sweaty ass head away from me!"

"but eunbi," the said girl whines as she chases her. "your shoulder is so comfortable to rest on."

the vocalist turns around to see her catching up and quickens her pace. "you're stinky though! stay away from me!"

the girl squeals when a pair of arms wraps around her waist and lifts her off the ground. "yah! mingi, let me go!"

he nuzzles his head in the crook of her neck as he tightens the hug. "if we're stinky, then we'll be stinky together."

friend #1- song mingi: a tall beanpole with a loud personality. he's a very friendly guy, but sometimes his loudness gets on her nerves.

another body joins the hug and rubs his black hair against her cheek.

the victim attempts to push the new player off of her, but is unsuccessful after three seconds of trying. "wooyoung! get your filthy head away from me!"

"princess, i know you're loving this," he teases.

"oh shut the fuck up and get off of me," she rebukes, recalling the memory where she first met him at the cafe.

friend #2- jung wooyoung: the playboy. the first time they officially met, he lifted her hand to his lips, winked at her, and asked her on a date. obviously, she declined with a face of disgust.

 _i can't believe yunho was right about that._ she sighs.

she can feel two more people tackle themselves into the hug, making her groan in annoyance once more. "for the love of god, siyeon! yunho! get your nasty heads away from me!"

"never!" they both exclaim while shoving their heads closer to their friend's face.

after a few minutes of being squished between four smelly dancers, someone decides to yank eunbi out of her captivity. she takes a deep breath of air- that did not belong to body odor- and slightly bends forward with her hands on her thighs. "finally, fresh air."

she turns to her savior and flashes him a smile full of gratitude. "thank you, san. i thought i was going to suffocate if i was in there any longer."

"oh don't thank me yet," her black-red haired friend nonchalantly says.

she scrunches her eyebrows together in confusion. "why-"

without second thought, the male squeezes her in a tight hug and she coughs due to the familiar scent of sweat. "you _snake_! you tricked me!"

friend #3- choi san: the playful one/the happy virus. he always brightens the mood with his friendly personality. every time he smiles, she really wants to poke his dimples.

but at this moment, she wants to stab his back multiple times.

in the corner of her eye, she can spot the four dancers surrounding her with arms out wide, creepy grins plastered on their faces. she decides that she is doomed and almost accepts her fate until she notices a familiar boy sitting not so far from her; he pays no attention to the huddle, only focusing on his game he's playing on his phone.

"yeosang! help me!" she cries in desperately. "i'm going to die from inhaling too much body odor!"

the said boy looks up from his phone, observing the situation unfold in front of him, and sighs before standing up onto his feet. he pushes mingi and wooyoung out of his path and yanks san off eunbi with no effort, dragging her out of the horded area.

friend #4- kang yeosang: the reserved one. he's quiet most of the time (most likely on his phone), but he will talk when he wants to. he seems intimidating at first; however, he eventually gets comfortable with the person after some time.

they both sit down against the walls of the dance room, letting out a huff of exhaustion, and yeosang resumes his mobile game. not wanting to interact with the energetic bunch of friends, the girl watches him defeat the monsters with his avatar and its shiny sword.

as politely as possible, she taps the blonde's arm softly to catch his attention. he pauses his game, looks over to see the brunette point something, and gives her his permission before she rests her head on his shoulder.

from afar, siyeon watches her friend slowly doze off on the gamer's shoulder when she's drinking from her water bottle and she lightly pulls on the shirt of the person next to her. yunho puts his bottle down and looks at the girl with a confused expression, but catches onto her idea when she points at the duo leaning against the wall.

"those two are literally a perfect match for each other," she whispers in his ear. "they're so cute together!"

he nods in agreement. "eunbi should cuff him before someone else does."

they both giggle at their little conversation. although for yunho, he can feel a little tug on his heart, but he dismisses it as nothing.

after a while, the dance instructor claps her hands and calls everyone to return to their positions so they can resume learning the remaining choreography. yunho slings an arm on siyeon as they walk to their positions, noticing his dance partner's red cheeks. he lets out a cheeky smile on his face at the achievement.

however, his smile slightly falters when he notices something in the corner of his eye.

yeosang softly pats eunbi's lap to wake her up from her slumber, which he accomplishes successfully. she lifts her head from his shoulder and groans at the fact that practice is resuming, rubbing her eyes in an undeniably cute manner. the blonde stands up before helping the girl get on her feet, but she sluggishly crashes her head against his chest immediately after.

the light brunette hears his friends chuckle at her sleepy behavior and pushes her off him, where his arms are holding her by her shoulders. he makes eye contact with the vocalist before exchanging a few words that somehow awaken her completely. she flashes him a smile of a child when he hands her his phone and she bolts to the row of chairs in the back corner of the room.

yunho accidentally makes eye contact with yeosang and quickly pretends to be focused on his stretching.

"hey," he hears siyeon speak as she grabs his hand. "are you okay? you spaced out for a second."

he turns to her and gives her a reassuring smile, "i-i'm fine. i was thinking about something."

he instantly lets go of her hand and changes into a different stretching position.

for some reason, he can't stop replaying the scene between yeosang and his best friend. he doesn't mind them being close to one another; in fact, he is glad that eunbi is getting comfortable with his friends...

but why does he feels bothered by it?


	6. Chapter 6

**_"because my world is all you."_ **

**-if without you**

"finally!"

eunbi drops onto her comfy bed in her cute bear pajamas, having her back sink into the soft mattress. "this is what i've been looking forward to!"

siyeon giggles at her roommate's childish behavior as she settles herself down on her bed, which is on the other side of the bedroom. she grabs her brush and untangles her long, brown hair, humming to a random song that fills the silence in her silk pajamas.

a familiar ding then echoes in the quiet room and both girls grab their phones to check their notifications.

eunbi groans when her squinting eyes read the message. "this piece of shit."

"who is it?" siyeon asks, slightly sad that someone hasn't texted her yet.

"my stupid brother that's who," the vocalist lies before furiously typing on her phone.

**11:18pm**

**yunhoe:**

how's my favorite bestie doingggg

**bi-bi:**

hello 911, i am being attacked

**yunhoe:**

cmon eunbi-nieee 😭

**yunhoe:**

ur the only one who can

help me with this

**bi-bi:**

just talked with the chief

and he said this aint it

**bi-bi:**

aight im out gn 👋👋

**yunhoe:**

pwetty pwease? 🥺

**bi-bi:**

ughhh fine

**bi-bi:**

what is it you whore

**yunhoe:**

hey thats not very nice >:(

**bi-bi:**

i don't give a shit

**yunhoe:**

i-

**yunhoe:**

but anyways

**yunhoe:**

im planning to ask siyeon

to be my gf tmr

**bi-bi:**

oh shit

**bi-bi:**

siyeon is coming over to my bed

so pretend ur my brother

**yunhoe:**

what-

_**bi-bi changed yunhoe's name to broski.** _

**bi-bi:**

yk, talking about tmr 👉👈...

**bi-bi:**

wheres my "good luck tmr

sister!" message huh?

**bi-bi:**

no "go get them tiger!"

message?

**bi-bi:**

im literally performing

in front of thousands

of ppl tmr and u don't give

ur little sister words of

encouragement? :,(

**broski:**

what?

**broski:**

im so confused

**broski:**

what is happening

**bi-bi:**

wow

**bi-bi:**

ur pretending to be confused now

**bi-bi:**

rudeeeee

**bi-bi:**

yk, the block looks kinda cold...

**broski:**

sIs cAlm doWN

**broski:**

iM soRrY

**bi-bi:**

yk i was joking right?

**broski:**

i hate u

**broski:**

u almost gave me a

heart attack

**bi-bi:**

did i fucking ask?

**bi-bi:**

mmm... no

**bi-bi:**

anyways, carry on about

ur depressing love life dear

brother of mine

**broski:**

finally 🥺🥺

**broski:**

so im asking a girl out

**broski:**

and idk what to get her

**broski:**

or when i should give it to her

**broski:**

before the show? after the show?

after her performance?

**broski:**

should i get her flowers?

or a poster? or a teddy bear?

**bi-bi:**

i can't believe that extremely

dumb ppl like you exist

**bi-bi:**

ur hopeless

**bi-bi:**

hello eunbi's brother, this is

her friend siyeon

**bi-bi:**

i am taking over since eunbi

sucks at this type of stuff

**bi-bi:**

no need for posters or teddy bears,

just get her a bouquet of sunflowers

**bi-bi:**

roses are lowkey overrated

**bi-bi:**

and it would be best if u

asked her after her performance

**bi-bi:**

take her by surprise ya know?

**broski:**

thank you siyeon

**broski:**

tbh, ur a better sister than eunbi

**bi-bi:**

i think the fUck nOt

**broski:**

and look whos back 🙄

**_bi-bi changed broski's name to yunhoe._ **

**bi-bi:**

shes gone

**yunhoe:**

i have i told you

how much i love you?? 🥺💕

**bi-bi:**

_dont say things like that_

_if u dont mean it|_

**bi-bi:**

_dont say things like that_

_if u don|_

**bi-bi:**

_dont say things li|_

**bi-bi:**

_don|_

**bi-bi:**

u owe me two 20-piece chicken

mcnuggets orders with a

side of large fries and

an oreo mcflurry 💅

**yunhoe:**

yes m'am

**yunhoe:**

thank u sm bestie

**yunhoe:**

idk what to do without u 🥺🥺

**bi-bi:**

yeah yeah i get it

**bi-bi:**

go text siyeon before i go insane

bc she keeps whining like a

little baby

**bi-bi:**

i want to go to sleep

**yunhoe:**

ok gn bestie💞

**yunhoe:**

good luck tmr :)

_read 11:32pm_

immediately after his message sent, siyeon's phone lights up and shows a notification. siyeon stops shaking eunbi and picks up her phone, reading the message before heading back to her bed with a smile plastered on her face.

the tired girl sighs and places her phone on her desk before turning to the side, facing the wall. she finally has no one bothering her and can peacefully close her eyes.

after lifting her blanket over her petite body...

she sheds a tear.


	7. Chapter 7

**_"open your eyes."_ **

**-crescent**

"fuck this shit, i'm out."

"come on eunbi-nie. we have to do this."

"you can't make me."

"i'll get you 5 bags of your favorite snacks after this."

"... dammit, this food slut can't decline the offer."

hand-in-hand, eunbi and siyeon walk towards the waiting room.

today, is the day of the evaluation process where students get judged based on their talent and get placed into their class level; millions of people worldwide watch online or come to attend the event. although the audience is excited to see future idols perform, it's a nerve-racking day for the participants.

settling themselves in two empty seats, the vocalist props her elbows on her thighs and rests her head on her hands while the dancer observes her competition in the room. they may seem unfazed by the number of people participating in this event, but in reality they can feel goosebumps travel along their skin.

so many talented people in one room...

terrifies them.

siyeon's confidence continues to decrease as she watches students practice their dance routines, in awe of their smooth movements. she looks at her small hands, reflecting upon her dance, and lets out a sigh.

"hey."

the girl turns her attention to her friend, who's patting her shoulder. "stop worrying, you're going to be fine."

"i wish i can, but i'm so nervous." she lays her head on eunbi's shoulder. "there are so many talented people here... and there is just me."

"yah!" eunbi smacks siyeon's head, earning a painful groan from the girl. "i told you to stop worrying! i've seen you dance, and you are way better than these fools here okay? even yunho would tell you that!"

she giggles at her comment as her confidence slowly builds up. "thank you eunbi, for cheering me up."

"don't thank me," the said girl remarks. "now then, let's watch the opening performance yunho and his friends are participating in."

siyeon nods and lifts her head to watch the opening of the event on the television.

on the other hand, eunbi has not left her gaze on the floor. in the back of her mind, she continues to recall a specific quote from the headmaster.

_"well then, if you want to start at the bottom, you'll have to be good enough to be at the bottom."_

at first, she wanted to purposely have a bad performance to avoid being in the same class as yunho despite the different departments. with being in a different class, she can meet new people and eventually move on; that's her main goal.

but is she willing to take the risk?

after spending some time with his friends, she is unsure of her decision. she initially thought that she was going to be left alone since yunho would be chasing after siyeon; however, his friends got her mind off of them. they filled the emptiness between her and her only two friends.

and besides, she's not going to move on completely if she doesn't face reality.

but in the back of her mind, fear gnaws on her decision.

will she really be able to move on? 

will she be able to handle the pain that goes with it?

will she regret her decision?

will she be truly happy?

despite her fears, she decides to do her best in her performance.

the vocalist warms up her throat and does some voice exercises as softly as possible, not wanting to attract attention toward her. when she feels ready, she quietly rehearses her chosen song.

numbers of students walk on and off stage with expressions of happiness, sadness, and neutrality.

and sooner or later, it is siyeon's turn on stage.

eunbi engulfs her friend in a big hug when she hears a familiar number being called. "good luck out there! you're going to do great out there!"

"i'll perform my best for you!" the dancer gleams, returning the hug, before running on stage.

after her disappearance from the waiting room, the brunette falls back into her chair. she can feel her heart pulse beating insanely fast, along with her breathing. anxiety tangles her thoughts and she closes her eyes to rid all nervousness.

 _you will be fine_ , she soothes herself. _you will be fine._

she eventually calms herself down and forces her head to watch siyeon on the television, a smile spreading on her face. her beautiful movements captivate her focus and she forgets all her worries as the judges compliment her friend for her elegant performance.

siyeon then walks off stage after bowing to the judges and rushes towards eunbi with a set of red clothes in her hand. she squeals in happiness, grabs her hands, and they both jump in circles. "eunbi-nie, i got into class a!"

"i told you so!" eunbi exclaims. "you were amazing out there!"

they hug one another for a few seconds before releasing each other, knowing that it was time for the other girl to perform. "do your best out there!"

"i'll try."

ending the quick conversation, eunbi takes her first step on stage.

thousands of people clap their hands at the appearance of another future idol while she nervously walks towards the microphone. she takes the small metal stick from its stand and moves the stand to the side.

she can see the judges observing her from afar, which quickens her heartbeat, as they finish writing notes on the previous participant. seeing that they were occupied for the moment, she uses the opportunity to look for her friends.

eunbi eventually spots them in the middle of the crowd since mingi's unnecessary jumping was not hard to miss. she gives them a small wave, receiving a loud shout from wooyoung and san. yeosang flashes her a small smile and mouths 'fighting' to the nervous girl.

then, the judges finish wrapping up their business and cue the music to begin with a nod. the piano medley flows into life, getting everyone into the mood of the song.

 _where's yunho?_ she wonders while listening to the instrumental.

and she instantly makes a mistake when she spots him.

in the back of the audience, yunho has his arms around siyeon, who has a bouquet of sunflowers in her hand. they both rock one another in a comforting manner as they laugh at a joke that yunho cracked. their eyes make contact with each other and stare in a loving matter that can't go unnoticed.

and as if they were in their own world, yunho caresses her cheek softly before cupping her jaw... 

and pressing his lips onto hers.

eunbi can feel bile traveling up her throat as her eyesight becomes blurry, slightly gripping her microphone harder than intended. her free hand makes its way to her heart, where it hurts so badly, and grabs her white blouse roughly.

the headmaster's voice whispers in her mind once again. _"well then, if you want to start at the bottom, you'll have to be good enough to be at the bottom."_

a bittersweet smile pulls on her lips as a tear slips onto her face.

without further thought, she brings the microphone close to her mouth...

and screams at the top of her lungs.


	8. Chapter 8

**_"the desire for you is so selfish."_ **

**-desire**

"and look who's here! the screaming queen, park eunbi!"

mingi immediately goes onto the floor to bow at the presence of royalty as she walks through the cafeteria. in a mocking fashion, the girl in a grey sweater does a curtsy even though she's wearing sweatpants. "thank you, thank you."

he rises from his bowing position and escorts her to their lunch table. "your throne, your majesty."

eunbi nods before she dismisses him with a flick of a hand and takes a seat next to yeosang.

after each participant's performance during the evaluation process, the judges comment on ways they could improve themselves and eventually hand out a set of colored clothing. depending on the color of the clothes, the students are placed in a class level: red is class a, blue is class b, green is class c, yellow is class d...

and grey is class f.

with eunbi's "amazing" performance, she received a grey set of clothing, officially placing her in class f.

the vocalist places her backpack onto her lap and unzips it to fish out her blue lunchbox. the warmth of her food within the walls of her container travels into her hand, causing her let out a satisfied hum.

yeosang glances over to the happy girl, but returns his gaze to his phone. "how's your day?"

"boring, but it's gotten better when i saw you and mingi." she smiles while removing the lid of her lunchbox. "how about you?"

"nothing," his thumbs furiously punches the screen of this phone. "we got a freshman added to our dance group though, he's pretty good."

the smell of her lunch travels to the blonde's nostrils, causing him to pause his game so he can enjoy the scent. she notices his small gesture and picks up a sausage octopus with her metal chopsticks. "do you want one?"

"it's okay," he declines. "i have my own lunch in my backpack."

she rolls her eyes. "ugh, i hate people like you."

and she shoves it into his mouth.

he takes a minute to process his current situation before slowly chewing the food into his mouth. his friend pulls out her chopsticks and observes his expression carefully.

"it's good," he comments as he swallows it. "how did you make it?"

"i glazed it with soy sauce to give it more flavor," she answers with a smile, happy that he likes her cooking.

"i want to taste it!" mingi, who has been watching their interaction the entire time, whines.

she sighs at his immature behavior and reluctantly plops one into his mouth. he squeals in delight as he munches on the food and eventually opens his mouth for more, earning him a nose flick as a no.

after a few minutes of awkward silence, two new people walk over to the table and settle themselves next to mingi, which causes the boy to happily embrace them. "seonghwa-hyung! hongjoong-hyung! i missed you!"

they both chuckle at their cute underclassman, ruffling his reddish hair. they both look around the table to see who else was present and make eye contact with the girl next to yeosang. the one with black hair flashes her a smile, recognizing her almost immediately, while the lightly blond one nods at her.

"hello to you once again," seonghwa greets. hongjoong gives her a little wave.

noticing the sudden attention, she stands up from her seat and politely bows at the upperclassmen. "hello, it's nice to see you again."

yeosang and mingi look at each other, confused about their encounter.

"how do you know seonghwa hyung and hongjoong hyung?" the blonde beside her questions, scrunching his eyebrows as he thinks of all the possibilities of their first meeting. "this should be your first time seeing them."

"we actually bumped into each other this morning," she sheepishly responds, rubbing her neck in embarrassment while recalling the fresh memory in her head. "i was lost and seonghwa-sunbae helped me get to class. hongjoong-sunbae was with him."

_"why did i not pay attention to the tour?"_

_eunbi stood in the middle of the hallway looking around to find her class, ruffling her hair harshly. she took out her phone and pulled up the map on her screen. "maybe i was suppose to turn left?"_

_she immediately turned around and took a step forward with her eyes still on the map, but halted when she bumps into someone. backing up from the person, she frantically bowed to them in apology. "i am so sorry, i wan't looking where i was going and-"_

_"are you okay?" a masculine voice interrupted. "your nose is slightly pink."_

_"i'm fine," she replied while covering her nose in embarrassment._

_the girl stopped bowing and lifted her head to see a beautiful male in red standing before her, causing her to stop breathing for a second. his tall figure towered over her petite figure as his luscious, brown eyes locked contact with hers. some of his smooth, black hair fell in front of his face, so he swept it to the side with his large hand. a polite smile pulled on his lips._

_"is my heart suppose to flutter to this?" she quietly asked herself._

_she swore that she could see sparkles floating around him._

_"seonghwa!"_

_the said male turned around to see his friend rushing towards him. "hongjoong-ah, good morning."_

_"who's this?" the 'hongjoong' person questioned as he examined the girl closely. "don't tell me you're innocently flirting with an underclassman."_

_the handsome boy shook his head while letting out a chuckle. "we accidentally bumped into each other on the way to class."_

_seonghwa averted his gaze from his friend and looked over to eunbi. "are you new here by any chance? you seem lost."_

_intimidated by the two males in front of her, she responded with a squeaky 'yes'._

_understanding her situation, he nodded at her before turning to hongjoong. "hongjoong, can you tell our teacher that i'll be late? i'm going to bring her to her class if that's alright."_

_and with that, he took her hand before leading her to her class._

"i told you not to call us sunbae," seonghwa sighs and hongjoong nods in agreement. "it makes us feel old. you can call us oppa."

hongjoong ushers the girl to bring her ear towards him, which she does.

"don't listen to him," he whispers. "seonghwa kinda has a..."

eunbi catches on with the older male's statement and quietly giggles. "i can tell."

a loud explosion of laughter then erupts in the middle of the cafeteria and everyone turns their towards the sound. when eunbi looks over her shoulder, she notices two familiar figures standing in front of a table filled with girls.

san and wooyoung.

the popular playboy has his arms around two female students as his dolphin laughter echoes throughout the room. on the other hand, the boy with the red highlights smiles at the remaining girls.

although, his smile seems forced.

he interacts with those at the table with his dimple smile and his cute voice, but the girl from afar notices an uncomfortable demeanor when the female students slowly get closer to him. she tilts his head in confusion, wondering why he's acting that way.

"hey yeosang," she nudges the said boy's shoulder to grab his attention. "shouldn't we help san? he doesn't look like he's having fun there."

"what do you mean?" her friend scoffs. "you've seen him and wooyoung always there during lunch. all those two do is flirt with girls."

she raises her hands in surrender, taken back at the sudden sass he threw at her. "damn, okay. i'm sorry for asking."

she glances at san one more time before placing a roll of egg into her mouth, which is suddenly taken from her chopsticks. slightly annoyed by that, she prepares herself to glare at the culprit and send curses flying at them.

but when their eyes meet, her heart stops.

yunho nonchalantly plops the yellow goodness into his mouth and grins when an explosion of flavor hits his tongue. as he settles himself into a seat, he lets out a happy hum at the taste of her food. "as expected, eunbi-nie's cooking is the best!"

 _stop calling me that_ , she can feel the pain rising. _stop hurting me._

sitting next to him, siyeon pouts at his comment. "yah! you haven't even tried my food yet!"

"ah sorry baby," he apologizes sincerely, and all the boys at the table cringe at the use of the pet name.

eunbi feels like throwing up her lunch when she hears him call his girlfriend the pet name, a name that she wishes he would call her, but never will.

because they are merely best friends and nothing else.

she watches her roommate open her lunchbox, revealing an array of rice balls and kimbap, and use her chopsticks to carry a piece of her kimbap to her boyfriend, who gladly accepts the invitation of food. he chews on it delightedly and swallows it with a smile, flashing her a thumbs-up.

"it's good!" he compliments. "i never knew you could cook too!"

she blushes at his comment and snuggles into his arm. "that's because i only cook for my boyfriend!"

when in reality, eunbi was the one who cooked both of their lunches this morning.

the vocalist dismisses the lie to prevent any problems from arising and looks around the cafeteria, not wanting to hurt herself any further. eventually, she lands her eyes on the table where two familiar boys are hanging out at.

her thoughts begin circulating around the two, wondering why they spend their lunch there instead at the lunch table she is at. the way yeosang explained their situation, maybe they're trying to get themselves a girlfriend? or is there something they are hiding from the group?

she decides that it's probably the former at first, until she locks eye contact with san.

thinking it is a coincidence, the girl immediately breaks the connection and looks around innocently as if she's minding her own business. but a bothersome feeling builds within her after the little incident, and so she glances at him and they maintain eye contact again.

his dark chocolate brown eyes stare into hers, as if he is trying to communicate with her telepathically.

as if he is begging for her help.

she realizes that she wasn't imagining when she noticed his peculiar behavior earlier.

but, she lacks the motivation to stand up from her seat. she ignores his plea for assistance and faces the couple before her.

yunho has his girlfriend in his arms as he sprinkles small kisses on siyeon's face. she giggles at the ticklish contact and playfully swats her hands at his face to halt him.

eunbi feels sick to her stomach.

immediately after witnessing the skinship, she packs her belongings into her backpack and slings the bag over her shoulder before standing up from her seat. she walks over to the table where san and wooyoung are located, and pats the shoulder of the boy with red highlights in his hair.

"yah san," she says. "you forgot about helping me find my phone charger in your class's dance room. let's go before lunch is over."

not giving him time to respond, she grabs his wrist and drags him out of the cafeteria.

someone smirks from afar.


	9. Chapter 9

**_"even if i close my eyes,_ **   
**_i can feel it."_ **

**-aurora**

"this is so good!"

san scoops another pile of rice onto the chopsticks and places it into his mouth.

eunbi playfully rolls her eyes, stifling her happiness from his comment with her neutral expression. "you're lucky i had leftovers or else you would be starving."

currently, the two are sitting on a bench in the courtyard after the girl successfully pulled her friend out of his uncomfortable situation. the garden's scent relaxes their muscles after escaping the suffocating cafeteria while the pair admire the vibrant colors in front of them. the gentle breeze brushes through their hair as the flowers entertain them with their graceful dancing, their swaying fill the silence between them.

"thank you for noticing me there," san says full of gratitude. "i've been hoping for someone to pull me out there for some time."

she nods in acknowledgement. "don't thank me, i'm just an observant person."

with their surface-level friendship, awkward silence quickly seeps into their conversation as one has their curiosity building up within them.

"yeosang told me that you and wooyoung hang out at that table every lunch," the girl speaks up, catching the boy's attention within seconds. "not that i'm against it, but why do you spend your time there? it may not be noticeable to some, but it seems like you're forcing yourself to be there."

he pauses his eating for a minute before plopping the last roll of egg into his mouth. the chopsticks almost fall off of the lunchbox due to his shaking hands. fiddling with his fingers, he debates whether he should tell her or not.

"because wooyoung is my best friend?"

she scoffs. "that may work on other people, but that won't work on me."

"but you don't have to tell if you're not ready," she adds, noticing his nervous behavior. "i understand if you don't want to talk about it."

looking at her wristwatch, she checks the time before reaching over to san for her lunchbox. she puts her chopstick inside her box and shoves it into her backpack, getting ready to head to class in a few minutes.

however, before she stands up from the bench, a hand holds onto her wrist.

"can you stay a little longer?" san whispers. "just until lunch is over?"

eunbi is slightly surprised at the sudden contact, but obliges to his request and settles herself back down on the bench. she clasps her hand with his as a sign of comfort as she waits for him to begin talking, caressing his thumb with hers.

the boy with red highlights in his hair takes a deep breath, mentally preparing himself, and lets his mouth spill everything.

"i have low self-esteem," he explains softly. "i feel like i'm not good enough for everyone, and i fear that someday i will not be loved by others. because of that, i seek attention. if i can't love myself, at least i have someone else to shower me with the love i don't have."

he feels something wet land on his sweatpants from the sky.

"i hang out at that table, so i can feel like i'm enough. the way they look at me, the way they touch me... i know the girls there don't love me like how i want them to- that's why i feel uncomfortable with them. but their attention is enough for me to feel like i'm worth it. i can live another day knowing that people like me."

then he realizes that...

he is crying.

he feels a soft piece of clothing touching his face and he glances over to see eunbi wiping his tears with a light blue handkerchief. her glassy eyes never leave his face to make sure she removed all the tear stains.

who would know that a happy person like him could hide so much negativity.

"i know how you feel," she speaks up, avoiding eye contact with her friend. "the feeling of not being good enough, the feeling of not loving yourself..."

san feels her grip on his hand tighten as she allows herself to continue rambling.

"i fell in love with a friend of mine when i was in middle school. although we lived in two different cities, we made time to visit each other since our families are close. we were each other's everything, the other half to each other, a match made in heaven."

she sniffles.

"but one day he met my friend from school and everything changed. he started acting differently whenever she was around and before i knew it..."

she takes in a shaky breath.

"he fell in love. and eventually, she did too."

unexpectedly, eunbi breaks down into tears as she covers her face with her hands. san instinctively wraps his arms around the petite girl and rubs her back in a consoling manner as he rocks her like a baby.

"what was i doing wrong?" she cries to him. "did she have something that i didn't have? was i just not good enough for him?"

he is speechless, absolutely speechless.

he never knew that the girl beside him could be hiding all her pain behind her loving yet sassy attitude.

and for some reason, he begins crying into her shoulder.

for once, the both of them have someone they can talk to.

for once, the both of them can feel their negative emotions leave their bodies.

for once...

the both of them can feel love from one another at the moment.

_love is such a bitch._


	10. Chapter 10

**_"it seems like the entire_ **   
**_world has gone crazy."_ **

**-am i wrong**

"well, i've never seen kiddo being this happy before."

someone ruffles eunbi's hair as she makes an americano drink, earning him a glare from the girl.

"yah," she softly punches her coworker. "can i not be happy?"

her cousin, yoongi, shrugs. "i'm just saying, you've been like this for a few days."

from behind, an arm slings around the girl's shoulder. "hyung is right, i've never seen you smiling so much."

"not you too tata," she groans in annoyance while removing the heart-themed coworker's arm. "leave me alone."

they ignore her request.

the two continue to tease the youngster ruthlessly, saying that maybe she found someone who caught her eye or someone asked her out. they poke her squishy cheeks as an attempt to get her to tell them the reason behind her happiness until the oldest relative intervenes. "yah! tata and shooky, go back to your stations!"

hearing the owner of the cafe commanding them, the two male workers immediately resuming fulfilling their position's activities. she lets out a sigh of relief and flashes a smile of gratitude to her cousin, seokjin, for coming to her rescue before passing yoongi a finished order.

her cousins are right though.

she's not always like this.

she feels happier than before.

ever since san and her spoke their deepest secrets, her body feels lighter from all the weight she was carrying. she dropped all those dumbbells of worry from her hands for once, and waves of relief continuously wash over her. it is as if she is floating on cloud nine.

not only that, but she developed a deep friendship she did not expect. as the first person to know each other's insecurities, san and eunbi feel more comfortable with one another. they would greet each other with a smile whenever they bump into each other in the hallways, share their food sometimes whenever the male decides to join the group during lunch, hug each other whenever they are bidding goodbye, check on one another whenever they are alone...

they do not have an awkward friendship anymore, but a friendship that has been dug deeper, a friendship with someone they can talk to, a friendship with someone they can trust.

for once, she has someone in her life that is not yunho.

 _is this what moving on feels like?_ she asks herself with a small smile _._

if it is, she hopes this feeling stays with her forever.

"van, can you come over here for a second?" someone suddenly calls out in a frustrated tone.

"yeah," she responds, breaking off her thoughts. "give me a sec."

the brunette asks her oldest cousin to take over for her as she approaches the cookie-themed coworker, who is currently scrunching his eyebrows at the customer before him. she takes a moment to sink in the situation, seeing a plain cup of latte on the counter between the two.

she flashes a confused look to yoongi. "what's wrong? does she not like the drink or something?"

"that's the thing," he says. "i don't know what she wants."

"it's lacking something," the female customer explains. "and i want you guys to do something about it."

 _i smell a bitch_ , she sighs at the fact that they have to deal with someone with this attitude.

nonetheless, the grey-white worker begins to replay the moment where she created the drink to see if she messed up anywhere. did she put in too much milk? did she put in too much espresso? did she make it too hot? too cold?

everyone who works at the cafe knows that she makes the best lattes...

and that is when it hits her.

the vocalist rushes to the brewing station, earning a shout from her older relative. with a cup of milk foam in her hand, she returns to the counter with a smile on her face and brings the latte close to her. the two people watch her closely as they are curious of her doing.

eunbi raises the cup of milk above the latte and begins to move her hand in a circular motion as the white liquid lightens the color of the drink. when a light brown color forms, she concentrates the foam near the bottom before building her way towards the top.

the customer watches in awe as the barista finishes off with dragging the milk foam down and lifts the cup from the drink, revealing a white heart on the latte. she looks back and forth from the cup of goodness to its creator and eventually stiffens when her drink is offered back to her.

"i hope you enjoy it," the worker smiles and places the latte into the female's hands, bidding her goodbye.

when the customer flees from the counter, yoongi proudly pats his younger cousin's back with his gummy smile. "good job kid. i thought i was gonna bust a vein if she stayed any longer."

"same here." they both break out in laughter.

the girl is about to leave for the brewing station until she hears a voice arise in a conversation nearby.

"she is such a bitch."

eunbi turns around with a shocked expression written on her face. _woah, who is calling me a bitch-_

her eyes find themselves latch onto a group of girls all wearing red sweaters while their conversation rings in her ears. they're all lean forward with interest, propping their arms on the table, as the gossip continues to slip from one of their mouths.

 _they're from my school_ , she notices when her body peers over the counter.

"i always thought she was really talented," the female continues. "like you wouldn't get accepted to the school if you were not good."

she takes a sip of her iced coffee. "but after the public evaluation, it made me realize that she is nothing but useless. i'm so embarrassed by the fact that i sit with her at lunch and live under the same roof as her; i don't understand what my boyfriend and his friends see in her."

her friends nod in agreement at her statement.

from afar, eunbi pretends to help her cousin pass out drinks to their customers when in reality she can't help but eavesdrop on their conversation. she cannot believe that someone has the audacity to talk behind someone's back, especially their friend's back.

she hopes that whoever is being bashed on will break that girl's neck when she finds out about this.

in the corner of her eye, she notices the group stand up from their seats after whispering something and begin to exit the cafe. however, one is still placing her belongings into her bag.

it's the girl who was bad-mouthing her friend earlier.

someone from the group realizes that someone is missing and calls her name when she holds the door open.

and when eunbi heard the name, she could not help but drop her jaw.

"siyeon, let's go!"


	11. Chapter 11

**_"why, why am i afraid?"_ **

**-mist**

"siyeon, wait for me!"

eunbi rushes to her friend, waving her hand around as if she is catching a taxi, while her breathing becomes faster. the said girl keeps her head forward as a sign of ignoring her as she spots her boyfriend from afar.

and within seconds, she is out of the brunette's sight. the girl puts her hands on her thighs and takes a minute to catch her breath after running toward her roommate.

ever since the conversation at the cafe, siyeon has been distancing herself from her lately. she does not initiate any conversations between the two of them, whether they are eating together, preparing for bed, or walking to school. it continues to escalate where sometimes she leaves early for school and returns to the apartment late when the vocalist is asleep.

at school, she is starting to spend more time with her classmates than with her roommate: walking to class, eating lunch together, and hanging out outside of school hours.

not only that, but yunho has been visiting their apartment more often. and whenever they are together, it is as if they are in their little world. they eat dinner together, they cuddle together, they watch movies together...

they do everything together,

_knowing that she is around._

to them,

_she's just an insignificant piece of dust in the air._

she is so close yet so far from moving on.

it hurts, you know?

the pain won't go away.

the heart is bleeding red.

the eyes are pouring sadness.

the mind is going crazy.

why is it so hard to move on?

what is she doing wrong?

she wants to know.

"princess!"

the girl jolts out of her thoughts when she hears a familiar voice call out to her. she turns her head to the side to see the raven-haired boy run up to her with a bright smile. with his arms open wide, he leaves his group of friends to embrace the girl with a big hug until he notices something.

his arms drop to his side.

"what's with the small frown?" wooyoung questions as his lips falter a little at the sight. "my princess should always be smiling."

she breaks eye contact with him, now staring at the ground. "i..."

she takes a moment to debate whether to trust him or not, ending up choosing the latter. _i can't tell him._

"i'm just stressed for the upcoming showcase," she lies, and luckily he does not catch on.

with that statement, the male wiggles his eyebrows with a sneaky smirk pulling on his lips. "oh? is the screaming princess going to take on the stage again?"

"no," she scoffs, a small grin creeping on her face. "let's just say that we're not doing well."

"class f never does well; they're the clowns of the school."

the brunette gives him an offended look, gasping at his comment. "are you calling me a clown?"

"yes," he states nonchalantly, his silly smirk still on display.

the female is about to push him away from him until he brings his face closer to hers, lifting her chin with his hand. "a clown on the outside, but a princess on the inside."

"you and your fucking cheesy lines."

she proceeds with the push and immediately flees from the fallen boy.

his bottom blooms in pain from the fall, grunting as he gets back on his feet. he dusts his pants before chasing after the girl with his arms ready to catch her. "yah! you're going to pay for that."

he earns a response of laughter from her as they follow one another to school. passing through the crowd, eunbi loses the male since her grey sweater helps her blend in with her surroundings. she politely pushes the people away, saying 'excuse me', and squeezes through the small spaces of the human sea while wooyoung struggles from behind. she never had so much energy surging through her body, and she smiles.

she is experiencing that feeling again,

that feeling of dropping weights,

that feeling of relief,

that feeling of happiness,

 _that feeling of moving on_.

before eunbi can zoom through the school gates, an arm grabs onto her wrist and forces her to turn around. expecting the black-haired boy, she lets out a sigh of disappointment.

"man, i was so close-"

when she makes eye contact with the person, however, someone unexpected is standing in front of her.

"san?"

the said boy places a finger on her lips, telling her to be quiet. "let's go hide before wooyoung finds you."

hearing that, a smirk pulls on her lips. "i like your thinking, mr. choi san."

the both of them enter the campus and spot a large bush to hide behind, taking cover in an instant. they position themselves in a crouch while they observe the entrance of the school through the holes of the plant.

as they waited for their group of friends to barge into the campus, silence overcomes them. no one dares to breathe or move, scared they will be caught any second now.

but then, their ears perk when a familiar voice begins speaking.

"baby, what do you think of eunbi?"

eunbi and san glance at each other before facing their attention to the owner of the voice.

a few inches away from the bush, siyeon and yunho are sitting on a bench as they wait for the passing bell to ring throughout the school. the both of them are holding hands, watching the students enter the campus. when she asked him, he adverts his attention on the flow of students to his girlfriend.

"why the sudden question?"

avoiding eye contact, she shrugs as she swings her legs up and down. "no particular reason."

nonetheless, he answers the question.

"she's my best friend," he starts off, tapping his head with his finger. "she's someone who is willing to listen to me, someone who supports my every decision, someone who watches out for me, someone who is taking care of me..."

"in general, someone who is always there for me." he smiles as he remembers all those times with his best friend. "she's like..."

"a little sister."

siyeon then leans her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "would you ever date her?"

when that question was thrown out, his body stiffens.

would he date her?

he has never thought of it.

he looks over to the girl beside her and flashes her a loving smile. "why would i ever date her when i have you?"

siyeon can hear a hint of doubt in his answer, and that makes her blood boil.

but she can't get mad when yunho has served his purpose of answering those questions.

nearby, the girl behind the bush feels her heart of glass shattering into smaller pieces. the pain concentrates in her chest as the sharpness of every word yunho unintentionally lets out stabs her. tears begin to build in her eyes, blurring her eyesight.

all those positive feelings disperse within seconds, leaving her vulnerable to her negative thoughts.

san takes a glimpse of his friend and his eyes widen when he sees her crying, immediately embracing her as a way to comfort her. he reassuringly pats the brunette's back while she silently weeps into his shoulder, his red sweater slowly absorbing her tears.

he looks at the girl in his arms and then at the boy with his girlfriend, connecting the dots of his words and her reaction to them.

 _aren't their feelings mutual?_ he ponders, eunbi still in his arms. _they're best friends; his words shouldn't affect her-_

and that's when realization hits him.

_the guy eunbi is in love with is yunho._

san does not know why, but his heart aches a little.

ignoring the feeling, he adverts his attention from the vocalist to the couple...

and he catches siyeon looking at them with a sinister smile.


	12. Chapter 12

**_"i could make it better."_ **

**-make it right**

"phew."

san slides down the wall and onto the floor, his chest rapidly moving up and down. grabbing the water bottle beside him, he gulps down the liquid to quench his thirst after practicing a dance for a few hours.

as he rests his body, the images of eunbi breaking down and siyeon looking at them appear in his mind. it has been a few days since the incident and for some reason, he feels bothered by the expression the female dancer made when her gaze was on the crying girl.

 _why was she making that face?_ he wonders. _the two girls are suppose to be best friends, right?_

he takes a few minutes to think about it: asking himself questions, replaying the occurrence, and recalling any moments of the two were together.

after some time, he concludes that...

siyeon never really appreciated her friendship with eunbi.

that she was only using her to get with yunho.

and she is aware of eunbi's feelings towards yunho.

not letting his thoughts go to waste, he grabs his phone to tell the boys (excluding yunho) about his recent discovery.

**3:32 pm**

**kq's single fellaz**

**mountain:**  
guys i have something to   
say

 **woo-hoo:**  
ur gay for me?? 😏

 **yeodanced:**  
get out of this chat you filthly sinner

 **minkiway:**  
wooyoung, u r so  
annoying sometimes

 **woo-hoo:**  
the feeling is mutual 😌

 **leader-hong:**  
yo can yall calm down

 **leader-hong:**  
san is trying to talk here

 **mars:**  
what is it sweetie?

 **mountain:**  
yk how siyeon and eunbi  
r bffs right?

 **minkway:**  
ye, what about it?

 **yeodanced:**  
i bet hes gonna say something about  
siyeon being a fake bitch

 **mountain:**  
wait-

 **mountain:**  
u took the words out  
of my mouth :o

 **minkiway:**  
ye u kinda hopped   
on the train a little late

 **minkiway:**  
its been pretty obvious

 **woo-hoo:**  
huh

 **leader-hong:**  
its ok, wooyoung and san dont eat lunch   
w/ us they wouldnt know

 **yeodanced:**  
that girl does not know how  
to pretend for her life 🙄

 **mars:**  
whenever we make plans at lunch,  
she always makes up excuses   
for eunbi to not come  
when that girl leaves for the restroom

 **mars:**  
like "oh she has work today" or   
"she told me that she needs   
to practice her vocals"

 **leader-hong:**  
she even ignores her at lunch  
and always breaks a conversation  
between us and her

 **yeodanced:**  
she doesnt even let her near yunho

 **yeodanced:**  
for god's sake those two   
literally grew up together

 **yeodanced:**  
jealous bitch

 **mars:**  
yah no cussing

 **yeodanced:**  
ur not my mom hyung

 **woo-hoo:**  
so this BITCH has the guts to   
mess with MY princess?!?

 **mars:**  
i said NO CUSSING

 **leader-hong:**  
u cant do anything hyung, give up

 **mars:**  
*sighs*

 **leader-hong:**  
san, how did you find out?

 **mountain:**  
a few days ago...

 **mountain:**  
she made eunbi cry

 **woo-hoo:**  
WHAT

 **mars:**  
WHAT

 **leader-hong:**  
WHAT

 **yeodanced:**  
WHAT

 **minkiway:**  
yk what s my current mood??

 **minkiway:**  
stabby :)

 **minkiway:**  
stab stab little bitch

 **leader-hong:**  
pls explain san

 **mountain:**  
me and eunbi were hiding  
from wooyoung one morning  
when he was chasing her

 **woo-hoo:**  
u sNakE 🐍

 **woo-hoo:**  
thats why i couldnt find her

 **mountain:**  
and we ended up being near  
yunho and siyeon

 **mountain:**  
she got yunho to say stuff  
about eunbi

 **mountain:**  
which made eunbi started crying

 **mountain:**  
when i looked at them while  
comforting eunbi...

 **mountain:**  
siyeon was looking at her   
with a smirk

 **mountain:**  
yunho is innocent tho,   
dont hurt him

 **mountain:**  
 _although hes the reason she is hurting_ |

 **mountain:**  
 _although hes the reason she i_ |

 **mountain:**  
 _although hes the reas_ |

 **mountain:**  
 _altho_ |

 **yeodanced:**  
slice and dice...

 **yeodanced:**  
sLiCe aNd dIcE...

 **yeodanced:**  
SLICE AND DICE 🔪🔪

 **woo-hoo:**  
imma kill a bitch tonight  
and no one is stopping me :)

 **yeodanced:**  
lets plan this bitch's death rn wooyoung

 **leader-hong:**  
woah there kids

 **leader-hong:**  
killing is not the answer

 **mars:**  
yk what is tho?

 **mars:**  
giving the bitch a lesson thats what

 **mars:**  
no one makes my baby eunbi cry

 **yeodanced:**  
oh fuck hyung is mad

 **mountain:**  
uh oh

 **woo-hoo:**  
i dont feel safe here

 **minkiway:**  
daddy im scared 🥺🥺

 **leader-hong:**  
mingi i am not ur father

 **leader-hong:**  
and seonghwa, u need to calm down

 **mars:**  
i want to punch her

 **leader-hong:**  
im at the supermarket rn and   
im not buying u strawberries if   
u keep this up

 **mars:**  
ugh fine

 **minkiway:**  
we have been saved

 **mountain:**  
bless our lord and savior

 **yeodanced:**  
all hail hongjoong-hyung

 **woo-hoo:**  
🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️

 **leader-hong:**  
just bc i stopped seonghwa doesnt   
mean we're not going to teach   
that girl a lesson

 **minkiway:**  
oh we're actually making a plan to   
beat her up? 🤩

 **leader-hong:**  
no

 **leader-hong:**  
we're going to give her  
a little chit chat

 **leader-hong:**  
but we're only doing it if we   
catch her in action


	13. Chapter 13

**_"i'm standing in front of_ **   
**_a new_ ** **** **_beginning."_ **

**-precious**

"jieun, you need to stop doing vibrato on every note. you're just making your voice shaky."

the said girl bows in apology to the teacher and attempts singing the song again.

eunbi lifts her head up to the ceiling, boredom clearly written in her face; she never expected this class to be the absolute worst. her ears are literally screaming in pain after hearing each student trying to sing the song off their paper.

for the past few days, she has been in a bad mood; she does not need more things making her mad.

giving up on the student, the vocal instructor cuts jieun off and proceeds to the next person in line. she plays a few chords on the piano for them, so they could know the pitch, and begins accompanying them once they start singing.

for a couple weeks, the school has been preparing for a showcase that will be held in the middle of the semester. the event will display the students' fierce competition, improvement, and collaboration skills.

with class f, however, they have been struggling with their performance; the vocal department can't seem to find someone to sing because their voices aren't suitable for any song while the dance department have students who are struggling with learning choreography.

at the very moment, ms. hwang has lined up all her second year vocalists and is evaluating them individually with a song that will be sung as a collaboration with the other class levels.

eunbi hates the fact that she was placed last in the line, meaning that she may have to stay back through lunch. her legs are already aching due to the fact that she has been standing for the past hour.

as the teacher continues down the line, the girl feels someone tapping her shoulder. she brings her attention from the ceiling to her classmate, who places her lyric paper in front of her and points at a specific spot.

"do you know what this part sounds like?" hana asks politely in a quiet voice.

she leans over and reads the words carefully, trying to recall the melody of the line. remembering the arrangement of notes, she brings her lips close to hana's ear so she can hum it to her.

but before she could manage to let out a note, her teacher calls her out.

"it looks like eunbi volunteers to stay back after class to sing me the entire song," the instructor sarcastically beams as she applauds for her student. "please take a seat in your chair, you're going to be here for a while."

although she groans in dissatisfaction, at least eunbi can sit down and rest her legs.

she watches everyone sing from the back of the classroom and eventually meets eyes with hana, who flashes her an apologetic expression. the girl simply smiles at her and mouths 'it's okay' to her.

after listening to almost every student sing, the bell rings and releases the students into lunch, earning silent cheering from class f of the vocal department. everyone retrieves their belongings and flashes a specific student a sympathetic gaze before leaving the teacher alone with her.

she drags her face with her hands when the dreadful time has come.

 _at least people don't have to hear my awful singing_ , she comforts herself.

"eunbi, stand up."

she obliges to ms. hwang's request with her paper in her hand.

her teacher plays a few notes on the piano and looks up at her. "on the count of three, start singing okay?"

the girl nods, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves down. she warms up her voice by singing the first few notes of the song before proceeding with her small evaluation.

bobbing her head to her instructor's counting, she lets her voice do its work. "where are you-"

her voice suddenly cracks.

the piano playing stops and the student feels her cheeks flare in red due to her embarrassing voice crack. she clears her throat once more and attempts the song again.

naturally, she can feel the flow of the melody as the emotions of the song seep into her body, the lyrics coming naturally to her. her voice adjusts when the piano increases in volume.

and when the chorus arrives, she belts out her high notes.

"heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven~"

the music is suddenly put to a stop, the vocalist's voice echoing throughout the empty room. eunbi scrunches her eyebrows in confusion, wondering what she did wrong, until her instructor approaches her and places her hands on the girl's shoulder.

"what did you eat today?" ms. hwang questions. "what did you drink? what did you do to obtain such a voice?"

being surprised at her teacher's odd behavior, the student leans back to create space between them. "uh... i don't know?"

eunbi then realizes she has fucked up.

she was singing with her actual voice, not her screaming voice that she has been using for the past month.

the woman releases her and ponders about the girl's enrollment in this class f. it makes no sense for someone with a beautiful voice like hers to not be in class a, but how did she end up in the lowest class level? she should be where all the talented people are instead of being in the discarded pile.

then she remembers when she was reviewing her student's videos in the beginning of the year.

 _it was probably just stage fright_ , ms. hwang concludes, although that wasn't the actual reason.

she looks over to the girl with a scheming smirk pulling on her lips, frightening eunbi a little. she's planning something in her head, and it doesn't look good for the vocalist.

"this is the year class f will rise," the instructor states as she paces back and forth in the room. "eunbi, are you willing to be our main vocalist?"

"uh," her student hesitates. "i mean, i don't really have a choice."

"you're a smart one," the woman comments before ushering the girl to stand closer to her. "we need to start planning now. we need to show the class levels who's boss."

hearing how excited her instructor was, eunbi lets out a smile.

the two females begin discussing about the showcase, giving feedback to their ideas and so forth. in a few minutes, the whiteboard is covered with scribbles and the two of them let out a satisfied smile. the teacher takes a snapshot of the board and finally dismisses her student to enjoy the last twenty minutes of lunch.

the girl collects her belongings and exits her classroom, bidding ms. hwang goodbye. when she enters the hallway, she notices someone leaning on the outer walls of the room with their earbuds blasting music into their ear. although she is taken back in surprise, she taps their shoulder to catch their attention.

"san, what are you doing here? aren't you supposed to be with wooyoung?"

hearing a familiar voice, the said boy takes out his earbuds and looks over his shoulder to see the girl standing next to him. "oh, you're done."

she scrunches her eyebrows in confusion. "what do you mean by that?"

"i was waiting for you so we can eat lunch together," he answers, avoiding eye contact with her.

the brunette takes a moment to appreciate his thoughtfulness before responding.

"awww, san." she ruffles his head playfully. "that's so sweet of you."

eunbi walks over to the wall across from her classroom and settles herself on the floor, patting an empty spot next to her. he takes the offer and plops his bottom next to hers and pulls out his lunch from his backpack, the girl copying his actions.

they hold a conversation among each other as they enjoy their food, laughing at everything they say. once in a while, they steal the other's food while one is talking about something and almost end up doing a food fight every time. their smiles brighten the awkward atmosphere and their laughter livens up the empty hallway.

unfortunately, their time together has ended when the lunch bell rings throughout the school, signaling the students to return to class. the two friends stand up from the floor and pack their lunch boxes into their backpacks before flinging it over their shoulders.

san is about to depart until he feels a hand hold onto his shoulder. he turns his body around, facing eunbi. "what is it?"

building up the courage, she manages to say what's on her mind throughout their interaction today. "why did you want to eat lunch with me? you could be hanging out with the guys."

in an instant, the boy faces away from her and starts walking away from her.

"yah!" she calls out, noticing his red ears. "answer my question, you idiot!"

with that, he looks over his shoulders and raises an eyebrow at her.

"is it a problem that i just wanted to spend some alone time with you?"


	14. Chapter 14

**_"everyone who is excited_ **   
**_all come here."_ **

**-boyz with fun**

"noona!"

a young male rushes into his little brother's room, where his babysitter was as she tucks the little one to bed. eunbi puts a finger up to signal him to be quiet, and he does.

"ugly rat," he whispers while handing the female her phone. "you're phone keeps blowing up, so i think you should check it."

ignoring the insult, she takes the phone from his hand and skims the messages popping up on the screen, earning a long sigh of annoyance. she puts her device in her pants pocket and escorts the boy outside the room.

when they have exited the quiet room, the boy points at his bedroom as a way to tell her that he will be in his room before silently tip-toeing to his room.

now with a small break, eunbi settles herself down on the couch and pulls out her phone again.

**4:58pm**

**kq's single fellaz**

**_minkiway added bi-bi to the group chat._ **

**minkiway:**  
yo, eunbi

 **minkiway:**  
why havent you been coming to   
lunch table recently?

 **minkiway:**  
i miss u :(

 **yeodanced:**  
yeah, where were u?

 **yeodanced:**  
i havent been getting my daily   
dose of ur cooking >:(

 **mars:**  
she probably has been preparing  
for the showcase with her teacher

 **yeodanced:**  
eunbi

 **minkiway:**  
eunbi

 **yeodanced:**  
eunbi

 **minkiway:**  
eunbi

 **yeodanced:**  
eunbi

 **minkiway:**  
eunbi

 **leader-hong:**  
guys, stop spamming this gc

 **leader-hong:**  
im trying to produce a song rn

 **bi-bi:**  
who added me here

 **minkiway:**  
EUNBI!! :D

 **mars:**  
thank goodness shes alive

 **mars:**  
i thought she was kidnapped for a sec

 **bi-bi:**  
maybe i wasnt responding bc  
im babysitting???

 **woo-hoo:**  
its my fav princess :)

 **bi-bi:**  
stfu you dried piece of celery

 **yeodanced:**  
stop ignoring the question and   
answer dammit

 **yeodanced:**  
where have you been during lunch

 **minkiway:**  
oh sheet yeosangs mad yall

 **bi-bi:**  
calm down there bitch

 **bi-bi:**  
u r so lucky that im on break rn

 **bi-bi:**  
but to answer ur question yeosang

 **bi-bi:**  
i have been taking a shit  
like a boss 😎😎

 **yeodanced:**  
every day for an hour??

 **mars:**  
yah, no cussing

 **bi-bi:**  
yes??

 **bi-bi:**  
jk, its a secret

 **bi-bi:**  
i will tell you guys when  
the time comes

 **bi-bi:**  
yeosang, it makes u feel better   
ill bring u lunch tmr

 **yeodanced:**  
yes plz

 **minkiway:**  
me too plz 🥺🥺

 **woo-hoo:**  
^

 **yeodanced:**  
get out. now.

 **bi-bi:**  
LMAOO

 **bi-bi:**  
and seonghwa, ur not my mom

 **bi-bi:**  
i can do whatever i want 😤😤

 **woo-hoo:**  
yk, san tells me that he needs to go  
to the restroom during lunch  
and never comes back...

 **mountain:**  
bc i was taking a shit  
like a boss thats why

 **bi-bi:**  
this fucker rlly just took my line-

 **mountain:**  
i will kill you and leave no evidence

 **mountain:  
** u can't kill me bc i'm  
already dead

 **bi-bi:**  
uh san

 **bi-bi:**  
should i be concerned??

 **mountain:**  
nope, im good :)

 **bi-bi:**  
ok, u gave me a heart attack for a sec

 **minkiway:**  
what

 **yeodanced:**  
what

 **mars:**  
what

 **woo-hoo:**  
what

 **leader-hong:**  
are you guys hiding   
something from us??

 **bi-bi:**  
hell yeah we r

 **mountain:**  
eunbi what

 **bi-bi:**  
i have crippling depression :)

 **yeodanced:**  
bro me too :0

 **bi-bi:**  
depressed buddies!! :D

 **mars:**  
aw eunbi baby

 **mars:**  
if u need someone to talk to  
i'm here sweetie

 **leader-hong:**  
^

 **minkiway:**  
^

 **woo-hoo:**  
^

 **yeodanced:**  
^

 **mountain:**  
^

 **bi-bi:**  
i-

 **bi-bi:**  
my heart-

 **bi-bi:**  
my heart-

 **bi-bi:**  
🥺💖💞💕

 **bi-bi:**  
i take back what i said  
seonghwa

 **bi-bi:**  
u r my mom

 **bi-bi:**  
and hongjoong is my dad

 **bi-bi:**  
yeosang is my depressed twin

 **bi-bi:**  
mingi is my broski

 **bi-bi:**  
and fuck u wooyoung 🖕

 **woo-hoo:**  
ill let u fuck me anytime princess ;)

 **bi-bi:**  
*sighs*

 **bi-bi:**  
and this is why  
  


 **mountain:**  
wait what about me 🥺

 **bi-bi:**  
ur just a mountain in the backyard

 **minkyway:**  
oh shit 

**mars:**  
:0

 **minkiway:**  
GET MOUNTAIN-ZONED

 **yeodanced:**  
oof

 **leader-hong:**  
^

 **woo-hoo:**  
lOsER

 **mountain:**  
):0

 **mountain:**  
eunbi...

 **mountain:**  
i thought we had something

 **bi-bi:**  
we did?

 **yeodanced:**  
damn that shit hurts

 **minkiway:**  
^

 **mars:**  
^

 **leader-hong:**  
^

 **woo-hoo:**  
^

 **mountain:**  
yah, u guys need to stop with   
the '^' shit bc its getting rlly annoying

 **mountain:**  
and u eunbi

 **mountain:**  
im never waiting for u for lunch anymore

 **bi-bi:**  
but ur the one who wanted  
to eat lunch together tho...

 **yeodanced:**  
shots have been fired

 **minkiway:**  
poor san

 **mars:**  
^

 **woo-hoo:**  
u made my bestie sad princess :(

**woo-hoo:**

**bi-bi:**  
oh shit

 **bi-bi:**  
shit shit shit shit

 **minkiway:**  
why r u freaking out?

 **minkiway:**  
hes just butthurt

 **minkiway:**  
be a man and take the pain san

 **bi-bi:**  
stfu mingi

 **bi-bi:**  
sannie im sorry  
for saying those things :(

 **leader-hong:**  
is no one going to comment about  
how san and eunbi have been having  
lunch together behind our backs

 **mars:**  
hongjoong, someone is   
apologizing so be quiet

 **bi-bi:**  
sannie yk how im mean to ppl  
but im only mean bc thats how i show  
my love to them

 **bi-bi:**  
im sorry for going too far

 **bi-bi:**  
i didnt mean to hurt ur feelings

 **bi-bi:**  
i actually rlly appreciated the  
fact that u always wait for me so   
we could eat lunch together

 **bi-bi:**  
it is very sweet of u to  
do so

 **bi-bi:**  
if it makes u feel better   
ill make u lunch

 **bi-bi:**  
dont cry bb

 **bi-bi:**  
ur going to make me cry  
bc i was being mean to u :,(

 **bi-bi:**  
*sending you love telepathically*

 **** **woo-hoo:**  
princess u did not just call san bb

 **mountain:**  
curry and rice??

 **bi-bi:**  
yes sweetie

 **bi-bi:**  
ill bring curry and  
rice for u tmr

 **woo-hoo:**  
sWeETiE?!?

 **yeodanced:**  
can u make me that tmr

 **bi-bi:**  
sure

 **minkiway:**  
i want some too :(

 **bi-bi:**  
for the love of god-

 **bi-bi:**  
ill make everyone lunch for tmr ok?

 **minkiway:**  
yay!!

 **woo-hoo:**  
i can finally taste my princess's cooking

 **mars:**  
do u want help?

 **mars:**  
i was planning to make curry for   
myself tonight but i bought  
too much for one person

 **bi-bi:**  
seonghwa, have i ever told  
u how much i love u?

 **mars:**  
anything for u my little  
one <3

 **minkiway:**  
this makes me feel like im the   
useless brother of the family

 **yeodanced:**  
thats bc u r idiot

 **leader-hong:**  
sometimes i wonder is yeosang and eunbi r the same person

 **yeodanced:**  
thats bc we are

 **bi-bi:**  
thats bc we are

 **minkiway:**  
thats spooky

 **minkiway:**  
they rlly be saying the same   
things @ the same time

 **bi-bi:**  
oh before i forget

 **bi-bi:**  
should i bring siyeon along?

 **bi-bi:**  
i feel bad for leaving her @ our  
apartment not knowing   
about this

 **mars:**  
is she good at cooking?

 **minkiway:**  
she should be since she cooks  
for yunho

 **bi-bi:**  
uh

 **bi-bi:**  
sure?

 **yeodanced:**  
is that tea im sipping?

 **bi-bi:**  
...

 **yeodanced:**  
*sips tea*

 **yeodanced:**  
the bitch cant even use a knife  
correctly?

 **mars:**  
hey thats not nice

 **minkiway:**  
that means that yunho has been eating  
eunbi's cooking all along :0

 **yeodanced:**  
he has tasted his best friend's   
cooking for how many years  
and cant tell that his gf's cooking   
is hers

 **yeodanced:**  
smh

 **leader-hong:**  
tbh, dont bring her

 **leader-hong:**  
she'll just be a nuisance if she comes

 **minkiway:**  
wouldnt yunho be mad that his gf  
cant come over?

 **woo-hoo:**  
he would be, but its not his fault  
that his gf cant cook

 **woo-hoo:**  
unlike my princess here ;)

 **bi-bi:**  
cant you stfu for one sec  
you trash?

 **mars:**  
i think its best to bring her over so  
we dont make any drama

 **mountain:**  
i agree

 **minkiway:**  
the mountain speaks :0

 **mountain:**  
stfu mingi

 **minkiway:**  
ok geez sorry for teasing u

 **bi-bi:**  
ill tell her

 **bi-bi:**  
just saying, dont be going around  
telling yunho that his gf cant cook

 **bi-bi:**  
i rather have him find out w/ his  
own eyes than by rumors   
made by u guys

 **yeodanced:**  
ur a sneaky one eunbi

 **bi-bi:**  
bruh im not a snake

 **bi-bi:**  
im just implying that she shouldnt  
be lying about things she cant do

 **bi-bi:**  
bc ppl will eventually find out the   
actual truth behind the lie

**bi-bi:**

the longer u lie, the more pain  
will come when the truth   
is revealed

 **leader-hong:**  
thats deep

 **leader-hong:**  
i have inspiration for another song now

 **bi-bi:**  
yw hongjoong

 **bi-bi:**  
sorry to cut this short but i have   
to go back to babysitting

 **bi-bi:**  
the baby just woke up

 **bi-bi:**  
bc the shitty brother is   
singing so fucking loud while   
breaking apples again

 **minkiway:**  
wtf-

 **bi-bi:**  
ill see u guys tonight!!

 **yeodanced:**  
bye depressed buddy

 **mars:**  
bye sweetie

 **leader-hong:**  
bye eunbi

 **minkiway:**  
bye bye!

 **woo-hoo:**  
bye princess ;)

 **mountain:**  
see ya


	15. Chapter 15

**_"you know i can't show you me."_ **

**-truth untold**

"come on in!"

eunbi cautiously enters the student dormitory as she clutches her backpack tightly. noticing her tense figure, her friend rubs circles on her back to loosen her nerves.

"it's okay eunbi," seonghwa consoles. "san is not mad at you anymore."

she flashes him a frightened expression. "are you sure? i was being a bit harsh on him in the group chat. what happens if he lashes out when he sees me?"

"he's fine, trust me." he shows the girl a reassuring smile. "but i think he might want a hug from you."

they walk past the lobby where most of the students were hanging out at, feeling stares following them. the loud chattering dies out and is soon replaced with whispers about the two, but the pair dismiss them as nothing. the upperclassman leads the girl to the kitchen that was reserved for only them and opens the door for her to enter.

"eunbi!!"

mingi rushes over to the said girl and embraces her in a tight hug, spinning her around in circles. he earns a squeal from her as she lightly punches his back to let her go.

once the tall beanpole releases her, a familiar black-haired male approaches her and grabs her hand.

"hello princess," he greets with a kiss on the hand. "glad you can make it."

the girl immediately retreats her hand away from him and rolls her eyes at him. "wooyoung, really?"

"i can't help it when princess is here," he purrs, earning a good whack in the head.

"well i can't help knocking some sense into you when you're here," she retorts before meeting the others, a smile betraying her annoyed expression.

yeosang and hongjoong both nod at her when she says hello to them as they continue furiously pressing on their electronic devices, one busy defeating a game while the latter adjusts beats to a song. she giggles at their focused expressions, not minding their lack of attention on her.

she moves on to the next person in sight, which causes her to take a step back and look for someone else. her eyes then search for the male with red highlights in his hair as she avoids the gaze of a specific someone with their significant lover.

she forgot that the couple would be here.

suddenly, she lets out a small yelp when a pair of arms wraps around her waist and pulls her into a back hug. the person holds her like no tomorrow and rests their head on her shoulder, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

eunbi lifts her hand and brushes her fingers through their hair, feeling the softness of each strand, while the other hand holds onto their arm. with her back on their chest, she can feel every single heartbeat. turning her head to face them, she lets the name of the person roll off her tongue.

"san-ah."

the said boy doesn't say anything and continues to embrace her from behind.

"are you still mad at me?"

she can feel him shake his head on her shoulder.

the girl sighs. "i'm sorry for being too harsh on you, it wasn't my intention to do so."

a deep hum vibrates on her skin, telling her that he accepts her apology.

they take a few more minutes to embrace the moment before she has to greet the last two people in the room, but san would not let go. his arms tighten around her waist whenever she pushes his arms off her body.

"san," she whines, putting more force in her push. "you need to let me go. i have to say hi to the others."

"no," he whimpers.

she sighs in disappointment at his immature action, but proceeds to greet the people that make her heart ache.

dragging san along with her, the brunette waddles her way to her two closest friends, who are too busy looking at each other with infinite amounts of love. their arms are tangled around each other like vines draped on an ancient jungle temple.

eunbi wants to puke at the sight.

nonetheless, she taps their shoulders and flashes them a small smile. "hi guys."

"bestie!" yunho exclaims, removing his arm from his girlfriend's waist. his large hand plops onto her head and playfully ruffles her hair. "how are you?"

the boy on her back can feel her tense up at yunho's physical contact.

 _not so good when i saw you_ , she tells herself.

on the contrary, her smile still remains on her lips as she responds to him. "i'm great! seems like you're in a good mood."

"well obviously," he grins. "i'm with the one who makes me the happiest, right baby?"

siyeon flashes him a smile and pecks him on the cheek. "of course, babe."

feeling his friend's body trembling, the human koala realizes the current situation and immediately releases the embrace. he grasps her wrist with an awkward smile pulling on his lips when he makes eye contact with the couple. he pulls the frozen girl in the opposite direction of the two lovers.

"yah eunbi, everyone is waiting for you to begin cooking." he says loud and clear so the two can hear him. "you told me that you would be making everyone's lunch for tomorrow."

yunho's ears perk when he hears that eunbi is cooking for them, slightly confused by what his friend meant by that. he was told earlier that the girls would be coming over to hang out with them as seonghwa cooked a snack. the description siyeon gave him did not match up with what he had just heard.

from afar, he sees his best friend roll up her sleeves of her green sweater and put on a pink apron before washing her hands and the ingredients under the sink. the remaining boys hover around her, curious to see her cooking skills unfold in front of them. she yells at them for being too close to them, threatening them with her wet hands, and shoos them farther away from her so she can tie her hair up.

the light brown haired boy begins to recall the memories between the two of them. ah, the nostalgic feelings rush through his body as he remembers the one time where he watched her make his favorite dish for his birthday: steak. he lifts his head to the ceiling as if the scent of the memory has entered his nose.

when the juicy meat in his mind was about to be devoured by his younger self, loud shouting brings him back to reality.

the boys were watching eunbi and seonghwa cut the carrots when the girl manages to cut the orange pieces at an insane pace and fling them into the pot beside her cutting board simultaneously. seonghwa falls to the ground, embarrassed about his cooking skills now, as mingi and wooyoung cheer her on and san as well as hongjoong watch in amazement.

unconsciously, yunho makes his way to the group, leaving his girlfriend behind. he stands besides hongjoong and leans forward to get a better view of the female in action.

her doe-eyes gazes at the ingredients like a hawk with its prey as she carefully holds a potato in place. with her handy-dandy knife, she reduces the sizes of the vegetable into little squares and sends the little shapes flying into the pot again. every time she pushes down on the metal tool, her arms slightly flex, revealing her hidden muscles. grinning at her accomplishment, she wipes her sweat with the apron that slightly lifts up her sweater.

he's going to be honest with himself- she looks attractive when she's cooking.

 _very_ attractive.

but before he can continue to admire eunbi from afar, his girlfriend yanks him away from the crowd. he looks over at her and sees a pouting expression written on her face.

"oppa," she says. "why did you leave me alone?"

he sheepishly rubs his neck in embarrassment, remembering his earlier thoughts. "it's been a while since i've seen eunbi cook, so i wanted to see how much she has improved."

she stomps her feet like a child, jealousy clearly seen in her actions. "why watch her when you have _me_ , oppa? i can cook as good as her!"

abruptly, a bag of groceries floats in front of their faces, frightening the couple for a second. the sound of a drone hovers above them as the owner of the robot speaks up.

"you better start cooking your ass off now then," yeosang says with sass. "you're going to have to cook for the both of you since seonghwa only bought enough ingredients for eight people."

taken back at the sudden mission, siyeon marches up to the blonde with fury plastered on her face while her boyfriend grabs the groceries.

"what do you mean they are cooking for only eight people?" she demands, wanting an immediate answer.

he shrugs. "didn't she tell you? with the help of seonghwa, eunbi said that she was cooking lunch for everyone in our group chat," he slightly pokes her shoulder, "-and you guys are not in it."

anger builds in the girl and she roughly grabs the boy's collar. "why aren't we in it?"

for a second, he thinks of the reason before clapping his hands together. "are you single? no. only single people are allowed in the group chat."

and he leaves the couple behind to be with the remaining group of friends, a smirk making its way on his lips.

 _serves you right snake_ , he congratulates himself.

on the other hand, the girl tries to calm herself down before her anger breaks through; she needs to stay calm in front of yunho, in front of _everyone_.

she pulls out her phone to check her messages with her roommate to see that eunbi did indeed inform her about this situation, earning a groan from her. her friend knows that she can't cook for her life and that everyone thinks she is as good as her.

looking up from her phone, she glares at eunbi, who is feeding the guys a sample of the food before plating it in eight little lunchboxes.

why does everyone like her?

everything about her is absolutely disgusting.

it serves her right that she belongs in class f, away from her.

away from _yunho_.

away from _her love_.

she deserves all the pain the world can give her.

with that last thought, a scheme pops up in her head. a sly smirk pulls on her lips.

**_a little accident wouldn't hurt right?_ **

siyeon begins her plan with her preparing to cook, tying her hair up and rolling up her sleeves. yunho notices her action and comes from behind to help her with her apron, knotting the strings tight.

she looks over to her girl friend to see if she has finished, and calls her over to help her cut the vegetables for her curry.

"eunbi-nie!" she says with a sickly, sweet voice as she cleans the ingredients. "can you teach me how to cut this?"

with nothing to do since the lunches were completed, the said girl nods before walking over to her with her knife and her cutting board. she settles her things down and grabs an orange vegetable from the sink.

"watch me first and then follow," the vocalist instructs, slowly cutting the carrot.

her eyes are focused on her technique as the other "innocently" observes her doing with astonishment, a hint of mischief in her gaze.

"wow you're so cool eunbi!" she exclaims, inching closer to the girl with a smirk itching to come out.

before anyone can notice...

siyeon dramatically loses her footing, grabbing onto eunbi, who is still slicing the carrot.

the knife misses the orange vegetable and cuts something else.

the girl closes her eyes for a second, expecting to hear a shriek and cries of pain echo in the room as the footsteps approach the pair...

but she hears nothing.

siyeon opens her eyes to see her girl friend looking at her finger that fell victim to her knife. all the boys hover around her to check her injury, seeing a crevasse on her finger.

but there is no blood.

 _what?_ the female dancer asks herself. _that's impossible._

she feels a pair of strong arms lift her from the ground, turning her around to meet eyes with her boyfriend. he examines her whole body, making sure she is not harmed in any way, and hugs her worriedly.

"babe, don't scare me like that."

she lowers her head down, attempting to look sorry for her clumsiness. "i'm sorry, i'm just a clumsy girl."

she glances over her shoulder to see eunbi surrounded by the remaining male students as they check her wound. they run all over the kitchen, searching for an aid kit, while one of them stays with the girl.

"are you okay?" san asks. "does it hurt?"

eunbi looks at her cut and then back at him before laughing. the boy with red highlights in his hair tilts his head in confusion, wondering about the reason for her odd reaction.

"sorry," she replies, wiping a tear from her eye. "it's just that i think my guitar saved my life."

making him more confused, she decides to explain the meaning behind her statement.

"i've been playing guitar for a while and i think it has toughened the skin on my fingers," she reasons, earning an 'oh' from the male.

and they both chuckle.

siyeon feels sick just by watching them.

after the incident, all the lunches have been prepared for tomorrow and everyone cheers in joy. the boys, except yunho, all embrace their master chef in a suffocating group hug as a gift of gratitude, causing her to grin. the couple flashes her a smile for her assistance in making their lunch.

as the head master's son, yunho has a privilege to have his car near the dormitory, so he decides to escort the two girls home.

eunbi takes a step outside of the building and shivers when the coldness travels through her clothes. she brings her arms close to her and begins to rub her hands for warmth until a black jacket falls on her shoulders.

she looks to her side to see wooyoung smiling as he slings an arm around her shoulder.

she nods in gratitude to the boy. "thank you, wooyoung."

"anything for my princess," he replies with a teasing smirk. " i wouldn't want you to get sick."

she rolls her eyes, not wanting to argue with him, and allows his arm to stay on her shoulders. feeling the warmth radiating from his body, she scoots closer to the male and together they wait for yunho to pull up in front of the dormitory and siyeon to finish collecting her belongings.

silence is bestowed upon them while they stare into the starry night, not knowing what to say to keep the conversation alive. the boy can feel his cheeks heat up every second of the moment.

the girl then notices something off and tells her friend beside her. "i wonder why siyeon is taking so long to pack up."

the boy tenses at her comment, but plays it cool by laying his head on hers. "well, i hope she takes her time because i can spend more time with you, princess!"

"yah, your head is heavy." she raises her voice a little, but she feels comfortable in their position.

inside the building, siyeon places her phone into her bag before placing the strap on her shoulder. she brushes the dust from her purple shirt and takes a few steps toward the door of the kitchen until a group of familiar boys block her path.

with a polite smile pulling on her lips, she asks them to move out of the way.

"can you guys move from the door? i need to go home."

but they don't move an inch away from the door.

one of them steps up and glares at her with all the hatred he can muster.

"you really are a bitch," yeosang spats as he pokes her shoulder roughly. "a sneaky bitch."

she scrunches her eyebrows in confusion, pretending to not know where he is coming from. "that's not nice to call a girl that. i haven't even done anything to you."

mingi then stands beside the blonde, a furious expression waiting to explode any second. "you never did anything to us, but you _did_ something to eunbi."

"p-pardon?" she stutters as she takes a step back. she's frightened due to the murderous demeanor in the atmosphere.

hongjoong gives her a 'are you stupid?' look. "you don't need to play dumb, we know what you did to her was _not an accident._ "

she retreats another step back while bringing her hands up. "i-i honestly d-don't know what y-you are talking about."

seonghwa sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose in irritation. "honey, you really need to take some classes on acting- we can see right past your facade."

"i w-would never h-hurt her. s-she's my b-best f-friend."

"who said you hurt her?" the four boys question her in unison as they take another step forward.

and that's when siyeon knew she fucked up.

with another step backwards, her body feels something hard behind her and she turns around.

on san's face is an expression of predator, ready to feast on the weak prey before him, as his ears release hot steam. he cracks his knuckles slowly, so the girl can hear every single bone dislocate and relocate, growing the suspense in the situation. there is no hint of playfulness in his eyes, but intent to kill.

his demeanor is literally saying, _"i'm going to kill her. i'm going to kill her. i'm going to kill her..."_

never once in her life did siyeon feel like her life was at stake...

but now she does.

he roughly pushes her to the ground with all the anger he contained his body and kneels to her level.

"if you ever lay a finger on her again, we won't hesitate to hurt you."


	16. Chapter 16

**_"as long as there are your moments to_ **   
**_briefly feel happiness."_ **

**-paradise**

"why do you guys keep following me as if someone is going to kill me?"

the girl looks around her as she walks to her classroom. encased by a group of males, she attempts to push at least one out of the circle so she can take a breather from this suffocating position, but no one budges.

"yah!" eunbi smacks the back of the closest person in range, which is mingi. "can y'all move out of the way?!? i want to get to class like a normal person you dumbshits!"

"this is for your own protection," hongjoong states, eyes observing their surroundings.

"from what?!?"

this time, yeosang responds. "you don't need to know."

"you have been doing this for three days already; i deserve to know!" the vocalist lets a groan of annoyance roll out of her mouth, ruffling her hair in frustration.

ever since the kitchen incident at the students' dormitory, her friends have been sticking to her like glue. they ask her where she is whenever she does not meet them at a certain amount of time, remind her to keep her guard up whenever they are not around, and follow her every step around school whenever passing period comes around.

at first, she took the gestures as signs of concern, which she was grateful for. they were just being thoughtful friends looking out for her.

but now, it's getting out of hand.

"it was just a small cut from the knife; i can take care of myself!" she reasons, trying any way to escape this uncomfortable situation. she feels embarrassed being in this friend group when she sees students whispering to one another, all eyes on them.

her hands cover herself from this first-hand embarrassment.

_someone, please end my misery._

"hyung! you're making the girl uncomfortable."

feeling someone yank her away from the circle, eunbi silently thank the gods for their blessing as the person places her behind them. the horde of males spats shouts of protest at them, but her savior does not move away from her.

"i can't believe these people are older than me," the girl can hear the male release a sigh.

"sorry," she quietly squeaks, taking note that he knows her friends. "they're a handful."

_he must be a member of their dance group._

an angelic giggle rings in her ears, softening the sound around them. "it's okay; anything for a pretty girl like you."

as if on cue, her cheeks bloom in red at his compliment, causing her to push her hands closer to her face to conceal her blush. _why am i such a sucker for compliments?_

the comment makes the crowd of male students more furious.

with her eyes covered, she builds up her curiosity of this male by beginning to imagine the appearance of her prince charming.

from hearing his voice, she assumes he has luscious brown hair as soft as a baby's blanket, a height that can tower over hers, and a beautiful pair of dark brown eyes. his smile is probably a sight worth seeing after this chaos along with his well-built body that is defending her from her annoying friends. since he calls the guys 'hyung,' it can be safely presumed that he is younger than her.

overall, her knight in shining armor is a good looking freshman.

and she's not complaining.

at the same time, she has a feeling she has met this boy before. she has heard his voice and felt his hand prior to this situation, but she cannot recall who for some reason.

after a while, the commotion dies down with the loud yelling, earning a sigh of relief from the pair. the older males are huffing in exhaustion after dealing with her savior, their hands on their knees to support their bodies. the girl hears no footsteps roaming the hallways, meaning that people have left the scene.

being comfortable with the current situation, she removes her hands from her face and politely bows at the stranger. "thank you for helping me."

"don't thank me," he replies sweetly. "any gentleman would step in for you."

quietly hyping herself for the reveal, eunbi looks up from the floor and meets eyes with the male.

immediately locking eye contact, she gazes into his gorgeous brown pupils as they slowly draw her in. his parted, earthy hair partially reveals his beautiful forehead and compliments his facial features, his chiseled jaw cutting the silence between them. a small blush arises on his cute chubby cheeks as a polite smile pulls on his lips.

she expected to have a racing heart and gracefully embrace his handsomeness...

but instead, she covers her mouth to stifle a laugh and looks to the side.

slightly confused by her reaction, the freshman tilts his head and brushes his dark chocolate bangs to the side. "is there something funny about my appearance?"

she looks up to the ceiling to prevent any tears from falling down her face, biting her lips, before responding. "do you not recognize me?"

he scrunches his eyebrows together at the question, taking a minute to observe the girl before him. "no?"

"little apple, you must be blind then."

when he heard the familiar nickname, he blinks numerous times to check his eyesight and almost has his eyes pop out of their sockets when he finally realizes who he is standing in front of. "noona?!?"

and that is her cue to fall onto the floor, laughing to her heart's intent, as the male student's face explodes in red.

"i-i, y-you, what?" he utters in disbelief. "you never told me you go here."

"th-that's bec-cause you n-never asked m-me," the girl replies through her laughs.

he looks at her grey sweater and blinks with perplexity at the sight. "w-why are y-you wearing that? you're like the bes-"

the girl shoots him a glare that shuts him up immediately, getting the memo from the intensity of the look.

the boys from behind flash each other a puzzled expression, watching their friend roll on the ground with tears falling from her eyes. not understanding the situation, one decides to speak up for the confused group of friends.

"jongho-ah, you know eunbi?" seonghwa questions as his eyes go back and forth between them.

"uh," he hesitates, still embarrassed by his recent discovery. "she's my little brother's babysitter."

"you mean _your_ babysitter!"the female lets out an obnoxious chuckle when she hears the familiar term, tumbling to the floor once again.

he shoots a glare at her before explaining their relationship. "my parents don't trust me taking care of my little brother even when i'm at home with him, so they looked for a babysitter and found out that my mom's friend has a daughter looking for a job."

he then points at eunbi. "and that's how i know this ugly rat."

"you can't call me that when you called me pretty." finally finishing her laughing fest, the said girl rests her elbow on the freshman's shoulder with a smirk.

raising her hands up into the air, she air-quotes the boy. " _'anything for a pretty girl like you'._ "

jongho roughly removes her elbow from him and covers his face in embarrassment. "i meant rat- an ugly rat!"

"aw don't hide it," she teases while poking his cheeks. "just admit it: i'm pretty."

"pretty ugly!"

not wanting to continue watching their interaction, someone abruptly grabs eunbi's wrist and pulls her towards them.

she looks up to the person with a bewildered expression written on her face as her back collides with their chest, surprised by the sudden action. "san, what are you-"

"class is about to start," he mumbles, immediately letting go of her.

she uses the opportunity to check her watch on her wrist and panics when she realizes that she only has a few seconds to get to her class. she looks at everyone with a small smile, bidding them goodbye, before sprinting through the hallway.

when she arrives to her designated location, she settles herself in a seat in the back as she tries to calm her breathing from running. fortunately, ms.hwang is not in the room yet, so the students use the waiting time to talk among themselves.

with no one to talk to, eunbi recalls the recent incident with a silly grin on her lips, quietly giggling at jongho's reaction when he recognized her. the way his face twisted when he realized he was flirting with his babysitter was priceless.

but then, she reminds herself that she is guilty as well for mentally calling him attractive.

nonetheless, she resumes the replay of the memory and eventually stumbles upon the sour expression san made when he forcefully pulled her from jongho. she has never seen that boy make a face like that or be that rough before, making her wonder...

_what was that for?_


	17. Chapter 17

**_"but my heart's still on fire_ **   
**_with a burning desire."_ **

**-heartbeat**

_what was that for?_

san has been asking himself this question ever since the incident in the hallway. he looks at the hand that grabbed the girl, recalling the vivid sensation of her skin on his, and puts it over his excited heart.

_why am i like this?_

"san!"

the said boy snaps his head to the front and locks eye contact with yunho, who is tapping his foot impatiently.

"this is the fifth time you dozed off," his friend scolds. "we have a few weeks before the showcase and you're still messing up."

the boy mumbles an apology before doing another run-through of the dance. with his eyes on the mirror, he watches himself perform the dance, taking note of any improvements. he slides to the left, throws his hands up into the air, staggers a jump...

but for some reason, he can't take his mind off that girl.

that girl with the pretty smile.

that girl with the gleaming eyes.

that girl with the cute dimples.

that girl with the beautiful brown hair.

that girl with the sassy attitude.

that girl with the awful singing. 

that girl with the name _park eunbi_.

the unknown feeling gurgles underneath his skin once again.

"ten minute break!"

everyone lets out a quiet cheer before heading to their belongings, where their bottles were residing. the sound of crinkling plastic fills the silent dance room as the guys gulp down the cold liquid within seconds, each one letting out a satisfied sigh when they finish their drinks.

the male with the red highlights swipes his sweat on his face with his sweatband and fans his shirt to cool his body as he takes the time to regain his breath. his limbs feel numb from the extra hours of after school practice and any minute now he will collapse onto the floor. he stretches his muscles to let his blood flow through his veins.

randomly, an image of eunbi smiling at him appears in his mind. he shakes his head and shoos the imaginary thought from his view.

 _why is she appearing in my mind all of a sudden?_ he ruffles his hair as he groans in frustration.

as he experiences a mental crisis, the dance leader spends his time texting his girlfriend, a smile pulling on his lips, as the remaining members chat with one another about their lives.

suddenly, the door opens and everyone adverts their attention to the entrance of the room.

at first, no one was standing in front of the door, making everyone a little spooked. seonghwa asks mingi to check the hallway for anyone since he's the closest one to the door.

the red-haired boy peers into the empty space, slightly scared for no apparent reason, and screams when he feels something grab his shoulder. he uses his free hand to swat the stranger away from him, tears threatening to fall out.

"stay away from me!" he continuously shouts, hoping for someone to come to his rescue.

at the sound of their friend's distress call, everyone frantically grabs any sort of weapon and rushes to his aid.

however, a high-pitched voice speaks up.

"yah! mingi, you're such a scaredy cat."

from the side of the entrance, a petite figure reveals themselves draped in black- black shoes, black clothes, black face mask, and black cap. they see the person patting the trembling boy with their free hand as the other holds a variety of plastic bags.

"what a baby," the stranger rolls her eyes.

cautiously, the youngest member of the dance group approaches her with an empty water bottle in his shaky hand.

"wh-who are y-you?" jongho questions, his tone laced in a nervous tone.

they scoff in utter disbelief, as if they were offended by that inquiry. although their face was concealed, the group can tell a smile pulling on their lips.

they gently push mingi off them before removing their mask and their cap, earning gasps of shock.

"eunbi-nie!" wooyoung immediately tackles her into a hug, which she successfully evades.

hongjoong comes up to her and grabs the bags from her hand, curious of what is inside. "what's this?"

"i remembered you guys talking about after school practice during lunch, so i decided to get you some food after my work shift." she flashes the older male a small smile.

yeosang peers into the plastic bag and his eyes gleam with happiness when he recognizes the boxes. the blonde surprisingly rushes to her and squeezes the girl with a grateful hug before jumping in circles. "you got us chicken!"

eunbi has never seen the reserved boy show so much emotion, finding his excitement cute.

from afar, san can feel a familiar sensation building inside him when he sees his friends interact with the girl. he attempts to suppress it with deep breaths, but it continues to grow.

he averts his gaze from her and harshly grips the hem of his shirt.

 _it's that painful feeling again,_ he recognizes.

that painful feeling he felt when he watched eunbi and jongho tease each other...

**jealousy.**

before he could explode, he taps seonghwa, who is currently thanking eunbi for the food, on the shoulder.

"hyung i'm going to the restroom," he grits his teeth and instantly stomps away from the dance room.

he can hear the older male yell at him to hurry up since they are planning to eat once they enter the room, but he ignores him and continues to walk to his desired location.

he spots the familiar bench outside the building and settles himself down, resting his head on the edge of the seat. his eyes watch the pink clouds flow along with the gentle breeze as the sun slowly sets. the flowers surrounding him entertain him with their little dances in their colorful tutus, swaying back and forth.

with the comfortable atmosphere, the feeling dies out from within him.

he lets out a sigh.

he takes a moment to enjoy his peaceful environment, closing his eyes to feel the breeze kiss his skin.

however, a sound of rustling then startles him, his bottom almost jumping off his seat, and he turns to the source of the noise.

"wow, i didn't think you would be a scaredy cat like mingi."

eunbi stands a few inches away from him with a plastic bag hovering between them. she settles the bag down and carefully steps back from the bench. "i had a feeling you were in a bad mood and needed some space from the others, so i brought some chicken for you."

she turns around and is about to leave the male alone until she hears him speak in a small voice.

"do you want to eat with me?"

she looks at him, debating whether she should or not, before placing herself a few spaces away from him since a specific person was still in the dance room.

in the silence, they grab a chicken drumstick, savoring each bite of the crispy skin and juicy meat without conversing with one another. instead of looking at each other, they observe the setting painted with beautiful colors of the sunset and listen to the plants sing to them with their rustling.

not bearing the quietness anymore, the girl speaks up.

"is something bothering you?" she asks, averting her gaze from the beautiful flowers to the male beside her. "you've been... moody lately."

he takes a bite of his new piece of chicken as an excuse to not respond.

eunbi huffs in frustration and scoots closer to san, placing the bag of chicken on the other side of her. "you know you can trust me; we've been through this before."

he slowly chews on the food in his mouth.

"playing the silent game, huh?" an irk mark appears on her temple.

before she could stand up and storm into the building, he finally builds the courage to say something on his mind.

"how did you find out that you were in love with yunho?"

hearing a familiar name, her eyes almost pop out of her eye sockets from the shock. she never knew that san figured out who she had feelings for, but thinking back to the one time she broke down in the bush, it was obvious who she had her sight on.

nonetheless, she does not ask him about his discovery and takes a moment to reflect on his question.

"i started noticing the little things about him," eunbi begins listing. "like the way the side of his eyes crinkle when he smiles or the way his fingers play with one another when he's nervous."

she taps her head as a habit when she tries to remember certain things. "but as it progresses, i subconsciously think of him all the time, whether i'm with him or not."

she rests her hands on her chest. "being around him makes my heart have a mind of its own, making me do things i wouldn't normally do."

with a pained expression, she lets out a bittersweet smile. "but when he's with someone else..."

"waves of sadness and frustration crash into one another, fighting for dominance. it's like the end of the world."

when she finishes her little talk, an unfamiliar feeling arises underneath her.

**the feeling of letting go.**

she looks over to the boy, who sits there in silence. "san, have you ever been in love?"

the said boy takes a minute to carefully reflect on the question and recall her experience of love before replying. "n-no."

"oh."

she's slightly disappointed by the answer, but she has to remind herself that he's going through a tough time with himself. why would he fall in love when he can't love himself?

she checks her watch to see fifteen minutes have passed and remembers that their dance practice should be resuming soon. grabbing the plastic bag beside her, she stands up and offers her free hand to the male.

"practice is going to start, so let's begin our way back."

he takes the hand and the girl helps him off the bench, keeping their hands interlocked, before heading back into the building.

the walk back to the dance room is quiet, only the sound of their footsteps bouncing off the walls of the hallway. eunbi swings their hands up and down like a child, excited to see the boys again.

although the passageway was silent, san's mind was not.

in his thoughts, he repeatedly asks himself eunbi's question.

_"san, have you ever fallen in love?"_

_"san, have you ever fallen in love?"_

_"san, have you ever fallen in love?"_

_"san, have you ever fallen in love?"_

it takes him a minute before truthfully answering the inquiry.

_yes, i have..._

looking over to their intertwined fingers, he softly smiles at the sight and raises his gaze to the girl beside him.

**_i have fallen in love with you, park eunbi._ **


	18. Chapter 18

**_"if only we can be together."_ **

**-just one day**

"finally, class is over!"

eunbi skips her way out of her classroom with a bright smile on her lips as she cheerfully travels through the winding hallways.

with no plans and no work today, she can take some time to relax at the apartment since siyeon will be hanging out with her classmates. the thought of binge-watching kdramas and napping without any disruptions sounds pleasant to her ears.

she deserves a break from people and her problems.

she exits the building and begins approaching the school gates, awaiting to return to her comfy bed and turn on her laptop.

but her leisure day ends when someone suddenly whispers into her ear.

"hey, are you free today?"

eunbi looks over her shoulder to lock eyes with a familiar pair of brown eyes, causing her to back away from him immediately.

"yunho, wh-what are you doing here-"

before she could finish her question, he frantically grabs her wrist and begins running with her trailing behind. he constantly glances behind her for some reason as they sprint through the campus, panic present in his eyes.

as an observant person, she would notice his little action and look behind her during their run.

however, the only thing she is focusing on is the grip on her hand.

the shocking feeling from the contact travels up her arm and disperses throughout her body like a supernova, a sensation like no other. his skin against hers is as addictive as she recalls from before, making her want to keep him for herself.

or that's how it would feel if she was experiencing this in the past.

now, it feels like a normal thing; there is nothing special about this skinship.

when they arrived to an area of the school with barely any people, he finally halts and catches his breath. letting go of his friend, he runs his hand through his gorgeous light brown hair, revealing his forehead for a few seconds.

normally, her heart would be beating rapidly at the sight of him doing the little things she loved.

but she knows that her heart is racing because her nonathletic-self was running just a while ago.

the female plops onto the floor with her chest rising up and down, trying to calm her breathing through exhaling and inhaling slowly, as she avoids eye contact with the boy before her. with one hand propping her upper body up, her free hand roams through her hair and slowly lets each strand of her long brown locks fall onto her shoulder.

what she doesn't realize is that yunho is shyly taking a glimpse at her once in a while when he awaits for her to finish resting.

"so are you free today or not?"

she averts her gaze from her surroundings and meets eyes with her friend, who puts a hand in front of her. she takes it, feeling the softness of his palm, and together she is lifted from the ground.

"well not anymore because of you, " she playfully rolls her eyes.

"okay because i want to prepare the dance proposal for," he hesitates a little, "-siyeon."

she doesn't notice the break in his statement because she can feel her heart drop at the sound of that name: his girlfriend's name.

surprisingly though, the pain that came with her name doesn't hurt as much as before.

nonetheless, she lets a small smile pull on her lips. "if i recall correctly, she has a thing for cheesy pick-up lines."

thinking of a splendid idea, he does small little hops and claps at his little achievement, his mouth forming an 'o'. "let's go to a store and buy some poster paper and balloons! i have markers at home!"

"oh, we're not going to the dorm?" she tilts her head in confusion.

he shakes his head. "my family wants me to eat dinner with them tonight, so we'll be planning the dance proposal there."

he remembers something and flashes her a smile. "and my mom has been dying to see you, so it's a win-win situation."

she nods her head in agreement of the plan for today and the both of them walk to the student parking, where yunho's vehicle was residing. eunbi's eyes spot a peculiar automobile from a distance, but ignores it since she knows that the male owns a car.

however, they continue to get closer to the vehicle and the light brunette pulls out a small key from his pocket. he approaches it and puts the key into its keyhole and twists it, earning a low growl from the machine, before hopping onto the seat with his helmet on.

"i am not riding that," eunbi squeaks in fear as she backs away from the automobile.

he sighs, already expecting this reaction, and lifts up the lens of the helmet. "eunbi-ah, you're going to be fine. it's not even that bad."

"yunho, you know that i have a fear of motorcycles."

reaching out to her, he awaits for her hand. "do you trust me?"

she takes a minute to contemplate before hesitatingly taking his hand, putting all her trust onto him. he guides her to the seat of the motorcycle and instructs her to grab the spare helmet in the bag on the side. knowing what to do next, she hops onto the seat behind him and puts the helmet on her head, trembling in horror.

"you're going to be okay," his masculine voice consoles. "just wrap your arms around my waist."

her shaky arms do as told, holding the male from behind, as her body leans against his back. with the engine roaring in her ears, she tightly squeezes her eyes shut and embraces herself for the bumpy ride.

but nothing happens.

feeling no motion whatsoever, she allows her eyes to open and lifts her head up while loosening her grip on yunho.

the motorcycle glides on the road as the breeze flows through her hair, passing by the tall buildings of seoul. the sounds of engines sneering and people chattering echo in her ear and she grins at the thrilling feeling growing within her.

"you enjoying the view, eunbi?" she hears from the front.

"yep!" she leans her head on his back once more and nuzzles her head.

underneath her, yunho feels his muscles tense a little at the sudden contact, causing him to swerve a little on the road. stabilizing the vehicle as quickly as possible, the grip on his waist tightens and his face flushes in red.

 _wh-what is she doing?!?_ he asks himself as he keeps his focus on the road, gripping the handles a little harder than intended.

for some reason, his heart is beating faster than it should be.

after a few minutes of adjusting to the road, the pair arrives at their designated location. yunho jumps off his seat first and helps eunbi reach the ground, taking off both of their helmets and returning them in the bags attached to the vehicle.

the girl enters into the store and immediately zooms to the school supplies' section, grabbing a fairly large white poster board, while the boy travels to the balloon section. he observes each design of the balloons and decides on the pink and red heart shaped ones.

"yunho-ah, look at me!"

hearing his name, he looks over his shoulders and almost lets out a shriek, placing a hand over his poor heart.

it was eunbi in a creepy clown mask.

she removes the mask while laughing to her heart's content, slapping her thighs and smiling like an idiot. she wipes her tears with her delicate fingers and runs her hand through her hair.

"you should have seen your face," she exclaims, laughing again with her hands over her stomach. "it was hilarious!"

what she doesn't notice the fact that he isn't paying attention to her words, but taking note of all the little things she does like the way she scrunches her nose cutely or the way her hand roams her hair.

"yah!"

he snaps out of his little world and locks eyes with her dark brown ones.

"i'm hungry, let's hurry up so i can eat some of your mom's food."

he rolls her eyes when he hears her statement. "wow, you don't want to spend some time with your best friend?"

"of course not," she scoffs. "i would rather be at home admiring nam joohyuk's good looks on my laptop."

"yah!" he places his hand on her head and messily ruffles her hair, which earns a small giggle from her.

arriving at the cashier area, the male notices two small packets in his friend's hand as he starts to pay for the supplies needed for his dance proposal, but he assumes that he's seeing things and proceeds with the payment. the cashier places his items into plastic bags, hands him the balloons with their customer-friendly smile, and bids him goodbye.

emerging from the store, a blue popsicle appears in front of his face, causing him to turn to his side. beside him is the vocalist enjoying a green popsicle, taking a huge bite of the sweet delight.

for some reason, he winces in pain when he witnesses his friend bite the popsicle, but takes the treat nonetheless.

"what's with this eunbi?" he questions as he takes a small lick of the icy treat.

"can i not treat my friend?" she counters, playfully placing an elbow on his shoulder.

he looks at her with a confused face. "but shouldn't the guy be treating the girl?"

eunbi sighs, noticing his lack of comprehension, and takes up all the courage she has to speak up about the misunderstanding between them.

"this is not a date yunho."

he takes a minute to realize that this is nothing more than best friends hanging out, and that he has a girlfriend he loves dearly.

"oh," he merely says. "i guess i was so used to going out with siyeon that i assumed that this was a date."

although hearing those words would cause her to fall on her knees and bawl her eyes, she continues to stand tall, slightly unaffected by his statement.

she has already been progressively giving up on her feelings for him, but there's still a hint of hope left in her heart.

_please don't bring my hopes up again._

avoiding an awkward atmosphere, the both of them quickly finish their popsicle and hop back on the motorcycle, placing the helmets on their heads. with a pull of the handle, the pair travels out of the parking lot and into the streets again.

once again, the female admires the busy streets of seoul, her eyes gleaming with interest when she spots some clothing stores and restaurants close by. the lights along the roads and in the buildings shine through the darkness of the sunset.

with the calming breeze playing around with her hair, she takes this moment to rest her head on the driver's back and close her eyes. the humming of the engine sings a melody in her ears as the beating of her friend's heart accompanies it as the drums, the song ringing pleasantly.

eunbi smiles.

their friendship is like a rose, something beautiful not worth being pluck from its stem. the pain from each thorn is a reminder that a simple romance is unattainable.

and because she knows that her feelings are slowly dying away and that yunho will always love siyeon...

they will stay friends forever.

right?


	19. Chapter 19

**_"how many more nights_ **   
**_do i have to stay awake?"_ **

**-spring day**

"guys, i officially asked siyeon to the dance!"

yunho smiles brightly when the boys applaud him for their friend's accomplishment. siyeon's hands leave the poster and balloons that were beside her and cover her slightly red face, embarrassed by the sudden attention.

"i did most of the work," eunbi comments with a small grin as she leans over the table to punch her childhood friend's shoulder.

he playfully roll his eyes and returns the favor. "no, i did."

"uh huh, keep dreaming kid."

"yah!"

the girl continues to enjoy her food as everyone except the girlfriend bursts into laughter at the vocalist's remark. mingi, who is sitting next to yunho, laughs loudly and repeatedly slaps his friend's back.

apparently a few weeks after the showcase, the school will be hosting a semi-formal dance. this event is said to be a reward for the students' hard work throughout the semester and a time for them to relax. those who win in their department at the showcase will be required to perform at the dance.

feeling an arm wrap around her shoulder, the brunette looks over to see san flashing her a worried expression.

knowing the reason behind his action, she unintentionally removes his arm in a rough manner. "i'm fine, you don't need to worry about me."

although she appreciates his thoughtfulness, she can handle her problems herself; she's a strong girl who can endure the pain that comes to her.

yunho may be her crush, but it doesn't change the fact that the both of them are still friends.

after a few minutes of congratulating the light-brunette, they transition into a new topic that takes eunbi by surprise.

"wooyoung!" mingi calls out. "aren't you planning to ask someone to the dance during the showcase?"

immediately, the girl adverts her gaze to the raven-boy, who sheepishly rubs his neck. "wooyoung's getting a date to the dance?"

"yeah," yeosang answers as he takes a bite of a chicken nugget. "he told us during one of our group dance practices."

a teasing smile pulls on her lips as she raises her eyebrows. "i see, lover boy has a crush."

"yah, i ain't no lover boy." the said boy crosses his arms and pouts. "i'm the international playboy."

"then why isn't the international playboy at his little table huh?" she counters, earning a bunch of 'oo's from the table.

"i-i-"

"the girl might be at that table," hongjoong pitches in. "if he wants to take her by surprise, then a smart plan is to avoid her for a while so she doesn't expect it at all."

the girl takes a minute to overlook the hypothetical situation before nodding agreement. "that actually makes sense."

she can hear wooyoung let out a sigh of relief, but she ignores it.

"eunbi, are you going to the dance?"

the said girl blinks multiple times when she hears seonghwa ask the sudden question, an awkward smile appearing on her face. she turns her head away from the table and pretends to observe the people in the canteen.

"yah, what's with this reaction?" this time, yunho is asking her.

san, being curious of her answer, gains her attention with a tap on her shoulder. now, she's awkwardly meeting eyes with everyone at her table.

"she doesn't like social events," siyeon responds for her. "she's not a big fan of them."

"did we ask you?" yeosang retorts, causing her to be quiet.

"yah, don't talk to my girlfriend like that." the boyfriend embraces the girl as a sign of protection towards her.

"she's right though," eunbi lets out a defeated sigh, oblivious of her friends' glaring contest. "i rather stay home and watch netflix then dress up pretty for some lame dance."

 _unless i somehow win during the showcase,_ she mentally adds.

mingi then asks her another question. "however, if someone asked you to the dance, would you go?"

"it depends," she replies truthfully. "if it's someone i don't know, then no. but if it's with someone i know, then maybe."

building the courage within, san unexpectedly asks her a question as well. "if someone from this group asks you to the dance..."

"would you say yes?"

that question takes her off guard, her eyes widening like a deer caught in headlights. she glances at each male at the table, except yunho, and softly bites her lower lip.

"uh..."

the guys lean over the table to hear her response clearly while the girl leans back away from them. she can feel the pressure they are placing on her.

"i mean, i guess. we'll go as friends."

with that answer, everyone plops back into their seats and lets out a breath they were holding.

"what the actual fuck are you guys hiding from me?" she raises an eyebrow at them, clearly confused by their reactions.

"nothing," the red-haired boy unconvincingly states, cold sweat breaking through his forehead.

"that may work on someone else, but that won't with me." she runs her hand through her hair.

finishing her lunch, she stands up from her seat and packs her things into her backpack before slinging the bag over her shoulder. "i'm going to the practice room."

"let me come with you," all the guys except yunho say. they all look at each other with a surprised expression written on their face.

"this is what i mean by you guys hiding something from me," she points out. "first, you guys literally follow me everywhere as if the mafia is after me. now, you guys ask me these weird questions about the dance like an interrogation."

she sighs as she pinches the bridge of her nose. "i need to spend some time alone, so please don't follow me."

with that, she departs from the table and exits the cafeteria.

the loudness of the chattering is replaced with the silence of the hallways, relaxing her mind a little. her body feels less tense now that no one is walking beside her or looking at her weirdly from a few feet away.

although her friends have the right to keep a secret, some of their secrets revolve around her and it is bothersome. she's starting to become paranoid because of them, the feeling becoming uncomfortable under her skin.

with all these feelings adding onto her emotional instability...

it's too much for her.

spotting a restroom nearby, the girl decides to take a detour to wash up a bit and cool herself down from her small outbreak earlier.

after a few minutes of staring at herself in the mirror and taking deep breaths, eunbi emerges from the bathroom, shaking her hands in the air to get rid of the excess water, as she looks to her left and her right. she lets out a sigh when she concludes that she is indeed alone.

being surrounded by a bunch of boys daily can be suffocating.

the brunette takes her time to resume her walk to the practice room, humming a random melody that comes to her mind, and pays no attention to her surroundings. she does not notice a collection of footsteps catch up to her during her little jam session when suddenly...

"ow!"

someone harshly pushes her against the lockers.


	20. Chapter 20

**_"as time goes by,_ **   
**_it just gets ruined more."_ **

**-house of cards**

"you think you're so high and mighty having boys follow you around."

the person slams eunbi into the lockers again, earning a small yelp from the victim.

a hand harshly grabs onto the girl's chin and moves her face around to get a good look at her, their face scrunching in disgust. "how did you get them wrapped around your little finger with this ugly face."

"because i'm pretty on the inside unlike a certain someone in front of me," she retorts and someone slaps her on her cheek.

"yah! that's not how you talk to _the min sonyoung_ , bitch!"

"calm down, haneul," the female pinning the vocalist growls. "she's mine to deal with."

the 'haneul' girl quietly apologizes before backing down where the remaining group of friends are standing. with no more interference, sonyoung smirks at the thought of eunbi's hair in her hands as the girl goes onto the floor begging for forgiveness.

"first, you steal _my_ wooyoung and _my_ san from me. now, you insult me." the blonde trails her fingers in the locks of dark chocolate in front of her. "you better grovel to your knees and apologize for what you said."

 _ah she's from that table_ , eunbi realizes, taking note of that for future purposes before responding.

"why would i do that when i was speaking the truth?"

she winces in pain when she feels her hair being yanked on.

"get to your knees and apologize," sonyoung repeats, her hostile tone ringing throughout the empty hallway.

"i'm sorry but this screaming queen doesn't bow to peasants like you," the brunette sneers.

suddenly, her breath escapes from her lungs as her stomach blooms in pain. gripping her abdomen, she slowly lowers herself to the ground to lessen the aching while coughing up saliva from her throat.

she can sense someone hovering their foot above her head until a familiar voice commands them to stop.

"sonyoung-ah, you've done enough. i'll take it from here."

a weight is placed on the back of the female's head and leisurely grinds the pain into her.

"si-siyeon."

calling the newcomer's name, eunbi's face is pushed harder to the floor.

"don't say my name with that disgusting mouth of yours."

with her heel digging into her scalp, the brunette attempts to lift herself up by removing her hands from her stomach and placing them onto the floor, using all the energy she has to push up. she can feel more force being put on her head as she gradually gets up from her kneeling position.

siyeon staggers backwards as the girl stands on her feet, wiping a small speck of blood seeping from her lips. she places a hand over a purple bruise that is forming on her forehead and gently caresses a small bump on top of it.

_that definitely left a mark._

eunbi runs her hand through her hair and flinches a little when her fingers touch a small part of her head. observing her surroundings, she notices that only her and siyeon were present in the hallway.

 _what a bunch of pussies_ , she derides before returning her gaze to the person in front of her.

she needs to get straight to the point.

"why do you hate me so much?" the brunette asks. "siyeon, why do you hate me?"

"why do i hate you?" the dancer repeats, scoffing at the question.

she stomps towards her and pushes the victim into the locker, yanking her grey sweater forward. "why do i hate you?!?"

she leans her head back and lets out a sarcastic laugh before glaring the girl down. "i hate you because you're taking everything away from me!"

eunbi, being confused at the statement, scrunches her eyebrows together. "the last time i checked, you're a fucking spoiled brat."

"really? you don't know what i'm talking about?" she rolls her eyes. "you must be kidding me."

taking a deep breath, the female dancer collects all the anger boiling underneath her skin and releases all of it with a scream.

"you're taking my boyfriend away from me!"

that's it.

eunbi had enough of this bitch.

moving her hands to siyeon's shoulders, the victim roughly pushes her off her body. she takes a few steps away from the lockers and feels her back aching in pain, her face displaying a grimacing expression.

"i would never do that!"

"don't give me that bullshit!" the girl shrieks, anger clearly written on her face. "i know you like yunho; i saw you guys alone in front of our apartment a few nights ago!"

hearing that statement, the vocalist scoffs in disbelief.

is there a problem with her hanging out with her best friend?

the thought that makes the vocalist clench her fists. "we were planning your dance proposal, is something wrong with that?!?"

"yes it does! you could be seducing him behind my back!"

and then a slap resonates in the empty hallway.

stumbling on her butt, the dancer flashes a shocked face at the sudden strength of the brunette; she never expected her to rebuke so quickly. with the uncomfortable feeling residing on her cheek, she sniffles a little before she lets out a wail.

"you really are the worst!" eunbi spats, tears dampening her face. "i'm sacrificing my happiness for yours and all you ever do is talk shit about me with your fake friends!"

"the only reason why you are attending this school is because i begged both of our parents! the only reason why we still have our apartment is because i work two jobs!"

a frustrated groan rips from her throat.

"the only reason why you guys are together is because i gave yunho up for you!"

from afar, distant footsteps echoes the empty hallways, getting louder by the second. the sound of panting rings in their ears and eunbi glance to the side where the noise is coming from.

"there they are!"

with a panicked expression, sonyoung drags yunho to the scene as she frantically rushes to the girl on the floor. recognizing the resonating voice, he immediately stands frozen when he sees his best friend standing with her fist clenched while his girlfriend bawls in pain.

"are you okay?" the blond female asks, noticing a red mark on siyeon's cheek. "what did she do to you?"

the response the blonde earned is nothing but more crying.

"she was the one who started it!" eunbi reasons, eyes widening at yunho's appearance. "she's the one who-"

"liar!" siyeon instantly shouts, earning everyone's attention. "you were threatening me to break up with yunho or else you would beat me up!"

for some reason, the light brunette can feel resentment building from within him.

"yah! eunbi, who gave you the right to hurt my girlfriend!" his face begins glowing red due to his anger. "why would you do this?!? you supported our relationship!"

"i-"

_"because she's in love with you!"_

letting those words sink into him, the male glares at the standing female before he rushes to the fallen girl's side. he wraps an arm around her waist and with the help of sonyoung, they lift siyeon onto her feet.

"i never thought you would stoop that low," he sneers. "i expected better from you."

the feeling he once had for his best friend disappears in an instead and is replaced with a new feeling.

**_hatred._ **

letting his emotions control his actions, he says one more thing before they escort the injured girl to the nurse's office. 

**_"i will never love a girl like you."_ **

watching the two people she trusted the most turn their backs on her, eunbi can feel her broken heart shatter once more, no possibility to be fixed...

and the last inches of feelings for yunho disperse into thin air.


	21. Chapter 21

**_"i'm the one i should love_ **   
**_in this world_ ** **_._ ** **_"_ **

**-epiphany**

"come in."

the door opens and the requested guest enters the room, their face decorated with purple marks. as quietly as possible, they close the door for privacy purposes before skittering to the seat in front of the desk.

the headmaster, who is working on his computer, puts his machine to sleep and lifts his glasses onto his head. turning his chair, he faces the person and frowns at the sight of the injuries and her dampened face.

"yunho and his classmate told me what happened during lunch," he says, getting straight to the point. "they told me that you were picking a fight with my son's girlfriend. is that true?"

eunbi sits there quietly, lowering her head in shame.

the man takes her silence as a yes and sighs.

he has known this girl since she was a small baby and watched her grow up with his son. as the matured one, she had always looked after the boy even though he was slightly older than her, whether he liked it or not. she was always there when he needed it, whether he was bored or he was having a hard time. the two of them were best friends, and the older male appreciates her for her company.

they never fought once, especially this aggressively, so the event that occurred today took him by surprise.

"eunbi, i know you're not the type of person to do this. can you tell me what actually happened?"

the question causes the said girl to perk her head up while she bites her lip nervously.

"will you believe me if i tell you everything, uncle?"

seeing that she finally answered, he gives her a reassuring smile. "of course. i want to hear your side of this."

he notices her body loosen up a little, her shoulders dropping and her fist relaxing. still avoiding eye contact, she lets out the shaky breath she was subconsciously holding.

and she tells him everything: sonyoung and her friends initiating the contact with a shove into the locker, the girls slapping and kicking her, siyeon stepping on her head and pushing into the lockers while the group leaves, the slap that she proceeds with, and yunho and sonyoung arriving at the scene. even though she leaves out the personal drama between them, she can feel her pants quicken as she recalls the memory so vividly in her mind.

from a different perspective, he can tell the difference between the truth and the lie.

with each detail spoken, he can feel the disappointment build in him with every word she speaks.

this is not how he raised his son,

how he taught his son to keep something precious to him.

the headmaster notices the girl breaking down before him and immediately goes over to her side to give her a comforting hug.

"i can't believe my son lost someone like you," the male consoles while patting her back. "he is so stubborn."

he pulls back to meet with her glassy eyes and ruffles her hair as a way to cheer her up. "he doesn't deserve you."

his words uplift her spirits a little as she wipes the tears with her grey sleeve."thank you uncle, for listening to me."

"you're like a daughter to me, i would do anything for you."

with a nod of gratitude, she flashes him a small smile.

he stands up and walks around his desk so he can take a seat in his comfy chair once again, turning on his computer. a barrage of clicks can be heard throughout the room and with a click, he leans back with a grin.

"i think after all that drama, you deserve a little break from school. i just informed your teacher about your absence for the remaining week, so you are now dismissed from school."

hearing his permission, she stands up and bows at him before exiting the room, her dialed phone in her hand.

༄

"little one, why are you out of school early?"

eunbi stops leaning on the school walls and lifts her gaze on her little feet to the person in a pink sweater and a pair of ripped jeans leaving their black van, recognizing them in an instant.

"jinnie!"

she runs up to seokjin and tackles him into a hug, nuzzling her head into his chest.

"woah there!" her cousin chuckles as he returns the hug. "i didn't think you would be that excited to see me."

his eyes then hover the large bruise blooming on her forehead and he pushes the girl away from him, so he can get a good look at her face: purple marks, small red scars, puffy eyes, tear stains, and a red hand mark.

someone had the guts to taint his baby's beautiful face with these awful marks.

"who did this to you?!?" he quietly shouts, gently caressing her injured cheek. "tell me who it is so i can beat their ass!"

not wanting to worry about her right now, she makes an excuse to escape this situation. "i'm fine! i just tripped, that's all."

he scoffs. "i'm sorry, but i'm not buying that lame excuse."

she sighs in disappointment. "you're always hard to fool."

"let's go," he grabs her wrist and leads her to the car. "you can tell me on the way to your apartment."

"okay."

with that, the both of them enter the black vehicle and sit in the two front seats, placing their seat belts on. seokjin adjusts the rear mirror before he puts on a pair of sunglasses and passes an exact replica to his little cousin, who gratefully accepts it. turning on the engine, he swerves the car out of the front of the school and begins the journey to the apartment.

eunbi opens her window a little to allow the fresh air to kiss her bruises and scars that decorated her face, bringing her a sense of consolation flowing through her blood. her hand turns on the radio and piano music flows in her ears, the urge to close her eyes present in her body, as her eyes watch in awe of the gorgeous sky above her.

the peaceful atmosphere reminds her of something.

no,

_someone._

whenever she was around them, she could feel a calming presence radiating from them. the wind would always dance around them, playing with their hair and pecking their cheeks. the sun was no match for the warmth from their solace embraces.

a garden and a bench appear in her mind.

"are you going to tell me now?"

she is shaken from her thoughts with the sound of the older male questioning her, eyes still on the road.

she sighs, knowing that she cannot avoid the question, and answers him truthfully. without mentioning names, she tells him everything despite the uncomfortable sensation of anxiety crawling on her skin.

even about her love for her best friend.

but what surprised her was his response to the situation.

"at least you went off on that bitch."

the girl immediately bursts into laughter at the sassy remark, holding her stomach in pain.

he raises an eyebrow at her peculiar reaction, but lets a smile pull on his lips nonetheless.

"jinnie, do you have a spare room in the house you share with my brother and our cousins by any chance?" she asks afterwards, her voice wavering a little.

"yeah, why?"

the girl fiddles her fingers nervously as she replies.

"can i live with you guys?"

the older male almost hits the brakes in the middle of the street. instead of facing his little cousin, he raises his eyebrows while blinking his eyes furiously.

"why the sudden question?"

"i live with the bit-"

hearing her enunciate the first syllable of the last word, he already knew what she was going to say.

"yes you can," he intervenes, parking the van in front of the apartment complex. "i will not allow my little eunbi-nie live under the same roof as someone as toxic as that bitch."

together, they exit the vehicle and quickly rush into the building, where they climbed a few flights of stairs to reach her floor level. with only two hours until school comes to an end, the female scurries to the door with her key in hand, shoving it into the keyhole and unlocking the door.

they burst into the room and promptly get to work, eunbi instructing the older male on what to do. within the time gap, clothes fly everywhere, boxes are filled, hands shuffle all around, and eventually all her belongings are packed.

bringing all the boxes outside the room, the both of them wipe the sweat building on their foreheads.

"i'm so tired," the girl huffs, leaning against the wall. "how are we supposed to bring all these boxes down?"

"backup should be coming soon," seokjin responds as he pushes his sleeves up.

"what?" she scrunches her eyebrows together. "when did you have the time to do that?"

"i took a short break and called some people," he explains.

"but who-"

"eunbi-nie!"

she turns her head to the side and is tackled to the ground by two masculine bodies, the pain in her back blooming once again.

"fuck!"

alarmed by the sudden cussing, the two males release the hug and watch her curl into a ball with tears threatening to fall out.

"oh my god! you hit her too hard jungkook-ah!"

"hyung, you're at fault too!"

"yah, taehyung! jungkook! what did you do to my sister?!?"

she can feel an arm wrap around her back and gently lift her upper body from the ground, meeting eyes with the people she least expected. all her cousins and her brother are currently present in the hallway, the older ones lifting the boxes to the vehicles outside and the younger ones surrounding her.

"sis, what happened to your face?!?" jimin exclaims when he notices the scars and the bruises on her face. "did jungkook and taehyung hurt you?"

the younger sibling can see the anger arising on his skin, the wrinkles on his face becoming more prominent. his free hand balls in a fist and the arm around her back tightens as the veins on his neck appear to pop any minute. when he makes eye contact with the other two younger relatives, the two boys hug each other for their lives.

"jimin!"

the intense emotion flushes out of her body when his baby sister calls his name informally, his gaze averting to the girl in his arms.

"yah! that's not how you address me-"

she lightly slaps his cheek. "i had these bruises and scars because i got in a fight, so stop blaming those two."

now that gets everyone taken back. they take a second to process the sentence before shouting at her all at once.

"a fight?!?"

she plugs her ears at the loudness of the males around her. "yes, my roommate decided it would be a good idea to get a group of girls to beat the shit out of me and make my best friend hate me by getting me mad enough to slap her."

it's tiring to explain this over and over, but she does not blame people's curiosity when they see her disfigured face.

"it all happened because i love my best friend, who is my roommate's boyfriend."

none of the boys show any reaction until taehyung lifts his hand and grazes her cheek with his thumb, causing her to flinch a little due to a sting of pain. he retreats his hand immediately.

the sound of knuckles cracking echo in the hallway.

"can we stay until that snake returns so we can teach her a lesson," he says, the words dripping with venom.

"woah there hyung," jungkook warns, patting his back to calm him down. "we would get in a lot of trouble if we did."

jimin sighs. "he's right taehyung. i would love to beat this chick up, but our main priority is to bring eunbi back to our house and get her settled."

eunbi feels her body being lifted from the floor and then on someone's shoulder, her eyes meeting the back of a white shirt. all her weight in on her stomach, causing her to experience a spike of pain.

"ah fuck!" she yelps, ruthlessly punching her cousin's back. "let me go! it hurts!"

jungkook ignores her pleas and begins walking towards the stairs while the other two relatives grab the remaining boxes in the hallway. they check their surroundings for stray boxes or any of her personal belongings before heading to the stairs.

since jimin and taehyung are holding the boxes, they eventually skitter past the youngest pair of relatives since jungkook is cautiously walking down each step with the girl on his shoulder. eunbi has already given up convincing her cousin to release her, allowing an awkward silence to seep between them.

"eunbi-ah," the male then calls out, earning a hum from the said girl. "i think you should love yourself more."

"why is that?" she questions, confused from the random comment.

she can feel him shrug underneath her, his shoulder poking her stomach again. she bites her lips to stifle a yelp.

"just because."

she whacks him in the head.

when they exited the building, she is finally placed back on her feet as the sensation on her stomach continues to throb in pain. she covers her abdomen with her arms and lets out a small wail.

"yah, jungkook!" the second oldest cousin, yoongi, scolds as he approaches the girl. "how could you hold the kiddo like that when she's injured?"

he shrugs. "she would be slowing us down, so i thought that was the fastest option."

he earns a smack in the back from that response.

namjoon simply sighs at the fact that their family is a mess and helps the female stand. "come on guys, her school is about to end soon and we need to get her moved into the house before nightfall."

everyone listens to him, packing the last boxes into the trunk of the two vans, and hops in any vehicle. the girl settles herself in the same van she arrived in, sitting in the front once again.

hearing seokjin turn on the engine, she looks out the window to take a glimpse of her apartment for one last time.

_"i think you should love yourself more."_

the more she reflects upon her cousin's advice, the more she understands the reasoning behind it.

her love for yunho is the reason why she's been in so much trouble.

her love for yunho is the reason why she's been hurt so many times.

her love for yunho is the reason why she's been unhappy.

as the van drives into the lively streets of seoul and the radio plays piano music in her ears, eunbi smiles.

_"i think you should love yourself more."_

_i should._


	22. Chapter 22

**_"forever at this place."_ **

**-friends**

"this is so boring."

eunbi lifts the remote and changes the channel once again, snuggling into the fluffy couch with a pillow in her arms.

being under house arrest was the one thing she least expected to be doing right now.

with all her relatives working at the moment, the girl is left alone in the empty house aching in pain. she wanted to work at the cafe during the week off school to earn some cash, but the boys forced her to stay home so she can recover. she begged and even bribed them with money.

yeah, that didn't work.

turning off the television, she forces herself to stand up from her comfortable position and walk into her room to practice her performance pieces for the showcase. her hand digs for the music sheets in her backpack as the other one grabs her phone on her bed. she needs to do something productive, something that will move these lazy legs of hers.

both items now in her possession, she slips out of the room and enters yoongi's room since the piano was located there. she settles her belongings down and plays a few notes for her to warm up before singing a little.

her phone screen then lights up when a barrage of messages appear. skimming the messages, her eyes widen in realization.

she forgot to tell her friends about her situation.

averting her focus from the piano, her fingers dance along the keyboard.

**11:59 am**

**kq's single fellaz**

_^ view the 1000 + messages ^_

**bi-bi:**  
wassup

 **minkiway:**  
O M G

 **minkiway:**  
ITS THE SCREAMING QUEEN

 **little_apple:**  
ew its the ugly rat 🤢

 **bi-bi:**  
who tf added the kid here

 **woo-hoo:**  
PRINCESS!!!

 **mountain:**  
EUNBI DO YOU KNOW HOW   
WORRIED I WAS??

 **mountain:**  
WE DIDNT SEE YOU  
AFTER SCHOOL

 **mountain:**  
AND THIS MORNING   
WE FOUND OUT THAT  
YOU LEFT THE APARTMENT   
WITHOUT A TRANCE

 **mountain:**  
YOU WERENT AT SCHOOL EITHER

 **mountain:**  
NO ONE KNEW WHERE YOU  
LEFT OFF TO

 **mountain:**  
WHY DIDNT YOU RESPOND TO US

 **yeodanced:**  
now u respond to our 4572 messages

 **bi-bi:**  
yes

 **bi-bi:**  
and im sorry san, i needed   
a break from everything

 **bi-bi:**  
yesterday was not the best  
day for me

 **bi-bi:**  
and i couldnt stand living with  
siyeon anymore so i moved in   
with my brother and my cousins

 **yeodanced:**  
yes queen, get rid of the toxicity  
in ur life

 **yeodanced:**  
but anyways

 **yeodanced:**  
youre literally the talk of   
the school

 **bi-bi:**  
nice

 **mars:**  
no its not "nice"

 **mars:**  
everyone is saying mean things  
about you

 **leader-hong:**  
what he means is that everyone  
is calling you a whore

 **bi-bi:**  
uh eXcuSe mE?!?

 **leader-hong:**  
there are rumors about how  
u were suspended for beating   
siyeon up

 **bi-bi:**  
????

 **bi-bi:**  
first of all, wtf

 **bi-bi:**  
second of all, w h a t t h e f u c k

 **bi-bi:**  
third of all

 **bi-bi:**  
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?

 **yeodanced:**  
well, im not surprised if  
you did tho

 **woo-hoo:**  
i heard from a group of girls  
that eunbi was trying to threaten siyeon  
to break up with yunho

 **minkiway:**  
of course you did

 **little_apple:**  
noona fights like a man-

 **bi-bi:**  
didnt know u were still salty about  
losing an arm wrestle to me 🙄

 **mountain:**  
what?

 **mars:**  
in my opinion, i dont think our   
little eunbi would start a fight

 **bi-bi:**  
thank you seonghwa 🥺

 **bi-bi:**  
at least someone here   
has a brain

 **leader-hong:**  
so all the rumors are false?

 **bi-bi:**  
obviously

 **bi-bi:**  
siyeon would have been  
suspended if she fought me  
too

 **mountain:**  
that would make sense

 **bi-bi:**  
let me tell you the real story

 **minkiway:**  
its story time with eunbi-nie!!

 **bi-bi:**  
yes mingi, its story time

 **bi-bi:**  
so once upon a time, there   
was a girl named park eunbi.  
she was minding her own   
business in the hallway until a   
group of girls ganged up on her.  
she got shoved in the locker multiple  
times, received a kick in the   
stomach, and got slapped in the  
face. then the main bitch took over.  
she slammed her head onto the  
floor and grinded her head with  
a foot, pushed into the locker again,  
and slapped her in the face. done   
with this bullshit, eunbi decides  
to slap her back and made her cry   
like a pussy. but reinforcements   
came (eh hem yunho) and   
the bitch lied about everything,  
framing eunbi as the villian

 **bi-bi:**  
the end 🥴

 **mountain:**  
HUH

 **minkiway:**  
WHAT

 **little_apple:**  
o m g

 **mars:**  
are you okay?!? 😧

 **leader-hong:**  
:0

 **woo-hoo:**  
THAT BITCH IS   
GOING TO PAY🤬

 **yeodanced:**  
pls tell me this is a joke

 **bi-bi:**  
pfft i wish

 **bi-bi:**  
she was telling me to get away  
from yunho bc she thinks ill   
seduce him or something

 **bi-bi:**  
seduce my flat ass 🙄

 **mountain:**  
i will gladly rip her throat out  
for you

 **bi-bi:**  
i love a violent san 😍

 **minkiway:**  
eunbi its not time to joke  
around

 **minkiway:**  
do we need to teach someone  
a lesson?? 😡

 **leader-hong:**  
i can hear jongho crack his knuckles  
from across the cafeteria...

 **bi-bi:**  
if u didnt notice

 **bi-bi:**  
it wasnt only her :)

 **mars:**  
we have more bitches to   
beat up??

 **leader-hong:**  
uh oh

 **bi-bi:**  
woah there seonghwa calm down

 **bi-bi:**  
no need to get so acted up  
about this

 **leader-hong:**  
we should be tho

 **leader-hong:**  
someone hurt our friend

 **yeodanced:**  
just say the name and i will personally  
send them to the hospital 😌💅

 **bi-bi:**  
ill say the name

 **bi-bi:**  
only if you promise no violence

 **minkiway:**  
but-

 **bi-bi:**  
no buts

 **bi-bi:**  
i appreciate ur worries   
but this is my battle

 **woo-hoo:**  
yeah guys

 **woo-hoo:**  
i dont want to ruin these beautiful  
hands of mine 💅

 **mountain:**  
wooyoung

 **mountain:**  
really

 **bi-bi:**  
idk if i should be   
offended by that or not

 **bi-bi:**  
but anyways

 **bi-bi:**  
no violence

 **bi-bi:**  
the showcase is coming up  
and i dont think the headmaster  
wants any more drama

 **leader-hong:**  
talking about the headmaster

 **leader-hong:**  
were u actually suspended??

 **bi-bi:**  
nope

 **bi-bi:**  
he gave me this week to take a   
break from school and recover

 **bi-bi**  
hes on my side 😎

 **mars:**  
thats good

 **mars:**  
after all this drama u   
deserve a break

 **bi-bi:**  
thank you seonghwa

**bi-bi:**  
we got seonghwa, wooyoung,   
and hongjoong being normal. will everyone else calm tf down so  
i can call this other snake out

 **yeodanced:**  
ugh whatever

 **yeodanced:**  
i wanted to smash someones skull  
into the lunch tables

 **mountain:**  
if eunbi-nie tells us not to resort to   
violence then we should not

 **little_apple:**  
who said i was angry at the fact  
that noona was beat up by a bunch of   
girls??

 **little_apple:**  
she deserved it

 **bi-bi:**  
what was that you little shit

 **bi-bi:**  
i will personally come to school  
just so i can beat the shit out of u

 **bi-bi:**  
not how i did to siyeon  
but even worse

 **minkiway:**  
jongho u cant be saying  
that when i can see u across   
the cafeteria w/ ur veins  
about to pop any sec now

 **woo-hoo:**  
oof exposed

 **bi-bi:**  
awww so my little apple  
was worried about me 🥺🥰

 **little_apple:**  
oh stfu ugly rat

 **bi-bi:**  
why would u tell urself that

 **minkiway:**  
and a oop-

**bi-bi:**  
well anyways

 **bi-bi:**  
getting straight to the point here

 **bi-bi:**  
the side chick of siyeon was   
min sonyoung

 **woo-hoo:**  
o shit

 **woo-hoo:**  
i did not expect that

 **mountain:**  
never liked her

 **yeodanced:**  
yuck the blond slut

 **yeodanced:**  
she rlly thinks she rocks the blond  
hair better than me 🥱

 **minkiway:**  
who?

 **bi-bi:**  
some girl in ur class idk

 **bi-bi:**  
but i do know is that she hangs  
out at that one table where san  
and wooyoung used to be at

 **leader-hong:**  
oh shes the one who came  
up to our table earlier asking if  
wooyoung and san wanted to eat  
at their table

 **bi-bi:**  
say what

 **mars:**  
she kept referring us as oppa  
and dong aegyo to get them over to   
the table

 **bi-bi:**  
AHAHAHAHAHA

 **bi-bi:**  
I THINK I BUSTED A LUNG

 **bi-bi:**  
IM WHEEZING

 **bi-bi:**  
SHES A LITERAL CLOWN

 **yeodanced:**  
u have no idea how  
much i wanted to vomit

 **bi-bi:**  
IM LITERALLY CRYING

 **bi-bi:**  
I DID NOT THINK SHE  
WAS THAT JEALOUS  
  


 **mountain:**  
jealous of what?

 **woo-hoo:**  
shes jealous of something??

 **bi-bi:**  
oh honey believe me   
when i say this

 **bi-bi:**  
but she was jealous of me   
bc the two of you hang out  
at our table now

 **bi-bi:**  
thats why she beat me up

 **minkiway:**  
now thats what u call  
pathetic

 **mars:**  
retweet 🙌

 **leader-hong:**  
hyung thats for the wrong app

 **mars:**  
oh sorry

 **little_apple:**  
ew who would want to hang out with  
the ugly rat

 **bi-bi:**  
jongho i stg if u keep this up im not  
baking u ur fav cookies the next  
time i babysit ur brother

 **little_apple:**  
yes noona

 **leader-hong:**  
wow eunbi has a sense of   
authority in her

 **bi-bi:**  
maybe thats why everyone wants  
to beat me up

 **bi-bi:**  
they feel threatened by my  
powerful presence 😎

 **woo-hoo:**  
YES PRINCESS YOU   
TELL THEM

 **bi-bi:**  
never once did i ever expect  
myself to say this to wooyoung but

 **bi-bi:**  
SHIT DAWG I THINK IM BLUSHING 

**yeodanced:**  
for god sake wooyoung can u not  
jitter around in ur seat like  
u have to pee

 **bi-bi:**  
nah i dont blame him

 **bi-bi:**  
he doesnt receive a lot of  
compliments from me

 **minkiway:**  
i want a compliment too  
eunbi 🥺

 **bi-bi:**  
you look like a sunfish

 **minkiway:**  
i-

 **bi-bi:**  
what?

 **bi-bi:**  
i gave you a compliment

**minkiway:**

**mars:**  
that is one ugly fish

 **leader-hong:**  
^

 **little_apple:**  
LMAO IT LOOKS JUST  
LIKE MINGI HYUNG

 **woo-hoo:**  
i think mingi is about to cry

 **bi-bi:**  
i love how you guys are hating on  
the sunfish

 **bi-bi:**  
when the sunfish is my favorite   
sea animal

 **minkiway:**  
thank you for the compliment  
eunbi

 **yeodanced:**  
and hes back to normal

 **bi-bi:**  
yk i noticed that san hasnt  
been responding for a while

 **woo-hoo:**  
oh he left a while ago to   
practice dancing

 **bi-bi:**  
ah okay

 **yeodanced:**  
why did u ask 😏

 **bi-bi:**  
can i not ask where  
a friend is??

 **mars:**  
well anyways

 **mars:**  
lunch just ended so its time  
to say our goodbyes

 **mars:**  
so bye sweetie get better soon!!

 **leader-hong:**  
i hope you recover well

 **minkiway:**  
get better soon!

 **woo-hoo:**  
recover quickly so i can see   
your beautiful face soon :)

 **little_apple:**  
bye ugly rat, hope ur recovery  
takes a long time so i dont see ur ugly  
face any time soon

 **mountain:**  
get well soon :)

 **bi-bi:**  
SANNIE I MISSED YOU!!

 **bi-bi:**  
but anyways thank you   
guys (except jongho)

 **bi-bi:**  
i rlly appreciate that you  
guys checked up on me

 **bi-bi:**  
ill see yall soon 😘


	23. Chapter 23

**_"when i'm with you,_ **   
**_i'm in utopia."_ **

**-euphoria**

"fuck!"

san slams his empty water bottle onto the wooden floor, watching the plastic object burst open and spill water everywhere. brushing his messy hair with his shaky hand, he turns to the mirror to make eye contact with his disappointing reflection. he leans his head back and lets a frustrated groan vibrate in his throat.

he doesn't know why, but he had this sickening sensation forming when everyone was texting in the group chat. although jongho constantly insulted eunbi throughout the conversation, he can sense a playful atmosphere between them. not only that, but she has given wooyoung and mingi unexpected attention with her compliments.

and that makes his blood boil.

adding to the swarm of emotions, he has been learning this dance for weeks and he continues to make mistakes during his groups rehearsals. despite the hours he invested in his individual practice, he still has his teammates constantly point his flaws out and at one point debated whether to kick him out of the performance.

waves of anger and jealousy crash into one another.

never before did he have these mixed feelings overwhelming him.

san settles himself onto the floor and cradles himself in his arms, rocking his body back and forth. when he rests his head on his knees, his black sweatpants begin soaking in his wet tears.

he hates himself.

he hates himself so much.

why is he is always like this?

why can't he be happy?

why is he even alive?

why does this insignificant person exist in this world?

just why?

he doesn't deserve to be standing on his feet right now.

he doesn't deserve this life.

he doesn't deserve anything.

he should just di-

his ringtone chimes in the quiet room.

who would be calling him in the middle of the evening?

he debates whether to answer the call until his hand subconsciously searches for the device, patting on the floor around him until he feels a rectangular object. after a few seconds of wiping his tears and taking a few deep breaths, he accepts the call without reading the name and places the phone beside his ear.

"h-hello?"

 _some way to hide your mental break down_ , he quietly curses himself.

fortunately, the person doesn't notice his wavering tone and greets him.

"hey san! how are you?"

he feels his composure collapsing piece by piece when he recognizes the voice, the voice he has been longing for at this moment.

"hello?" they say again, noticing the sniffling on the other line. "san-ah, are you okay?"

he tries to hold in his overflowing emotions by biting his bottom lip, not wanting to worry them. they have been through so much in the past few days, so why would he add his pathetic self on the weight?

but with that angelic voice of theirs, he can not help but give in and break down completely on the call.

"eunbi," he cries as the tears drip down his face once again, bringing the phone closer to his ear. "eunbi, i'm such a worthless person. i can't do anything right. i don't deserve to live."

never once has he ever exposed himself in his current situation to anyone, especially eunbi. yes, she does know about his low self-esteem and has seen him cry once because of it, but that was only a small fraction of what he's actually been enduring.

he has been so afraid to show his true self because he knows that this side of him is pathetic.

he wants to end this conversation with a press of a button, to end everything between them because he has ruined the chance between them. now, she probably thinks he is a loser not worth her time compared to her lovely yunho, the guy who is not worth her time.

but makes him worth her time?

it's over-

"sannie."

so many people have called him by that name, but no one ever made him feel this way like she did. oh, how the way she softly enunciated his name tickles the insides of his ear.

"sannie, i want you to listen to me okay?" she whispers. "can you do that for me?"

through his weeping, he manages to hum in response to let her know that she has his attention.

"my little sanshine," she begins, and his heart flutters at the sound of the new name.

 _her_ little sanshine.

"he's the most amazing person in the world," she describes. "he has these dimples that i always want to poke whenever he smiles. he's a very hardworking person when it comes to his passion for dancing."

she quietly giggles as if she has recalled a fond memory. "he may not admit it, but he can make all the girls fall in love with his handsomeness. he is a caring person and never fails to lift anyone's mood with his energetic-self."

"but most of all," she pauses for a moment before resuming. "he's strong. as the selfless person he is, he bottles all his emotions to himself. these monsters tear the insides of his mind, but he never lets them out because he doesn't want to hurt anyone. he endures all this pain and worries about others first before himself."

"for all the struggles he has been through, he deserves the world. he deserves to be happy. he deserves the life he has."

when he listens to her last words, he can feel the will to live return to him. it's a first for him to have someone tell him about his worth, and to know that someone acknowledges you the way eunbi did is a privilege.

it makes him realize how fortunate he is to have her by his side, someone who is as caring as her.

"oh shit!" she exclaims when she hears the male crying again. "i didn't mean to make you cry again!"

she groans. "man, why do i suck at things like this."

she tries to comfort him over the phone, but everything she does only causes him to break into more tears.

not tears of sadness, but tears of happiness.

eunbi is the comforting light that shines in his dark mind. to rid all his negative thoughts, all he had to do is feel her presence near him. during his toughest days, one glimpse of her smiles was all he needed to keep on going. when the world was against him, having her beside him was enough for him to fight against his struggles.

no matter what, she is always there for him when he needs her the most.

she is the cause of his euphoria.


	24. Chapter 24

**_"can i capture you in my mind?"_ **

**-scenery**

"eunbi-ah!"

hearing her name being called, the girl comes out of her room and rushes down the stairs to see her relatives dressed in warm clothing and wearing caps on their heads.

"oh you guys are back from work early," she greets with a small smile. "why did you call me down?"

all the males slap their faces with their hands as the little one blinks her eyes with innocence, not comprehending the situation. they continue to stand near the door tapping their foot impatiently.

"did you forget kiddo?" yoongi rolls his eyes in annoyance. "we're going busking in daehango."

her eyes almost pop out of her eye sockets when she listened to those words come out of her cousin's mouth, jokingly cleaning her ear to make sure she heard that correctly.

"i thought we were doing that on friday," she says while raising her eyebrow. "it's only wednesday."

a chorus of frustrated groans and sighs echoes throughout the house; they are dumbfounded, astonished, flabbergasted at how stupid the female was. the fact that staying inside the house for too long is getting into her brain and shows that she needs to get out of this suffocating place.

"sis," jimin exhales. "today is friday."

she takes a moment to calculate the day of the week, counting with her fingers, and finally gasps in realization. sprinting up the stairs, she barges into her room to change into a simple red t-shirt and light blue skinny jeans before slipping on her black fur-hooded winter coat and black cap.

hopping down the stairs while shoving her socks onto her feet, seokjin brings over her black converse and helps her put them on before the group head to their two vehicles.

during the forty minute ride to daehango, eunbi, unfortunately, ended up in the loud car that consisted of seokjin, yoongi, and taehyung. with this odd grouping, she thought she could take a peaceful nap, but she was totally wrong.

the three of them were literally blasting pop music and screaming the lyrics.

when they arrived, everyone attends to the trunks of the vans and loads out the item necessary for their performances tonight. with eunbi and yoongi being the weakest ones, the group decides to send the two of them to go search for an empty place for them to set up while they carry the heavy objects.

since it was the girl's first time in this district, the male decides to tell her a little about the place, pointing and informing her about the different booths and stores here. her eyes glow in amazement at the vibrant colors and the crowd of people.

once they find the perfect place to set up, they wait for the others to catch up so they can begin preparing for their performances tonight. everyone comes with speakers and lighting equipment and settles it down on the floor, sighing in relief, before beginning to set up the stage. not wanting the girl to fiddle with the appliances, namjoon sends hoseok to escort eunbi around the district.

"you haven't had dinner yet right?" he asks as they walk beside each other.

she nods, hearing her stomach grumble from underneath her coat in embarrassment.

"let's go then, eunbi-nie!"

with a grin pulling on his lips, he grabs her wrist and tugs her to a food booth not too far from their stage. fortunately, there was no line when they arrived, so he orders for her while she waits underneath a tree nearby.

and she takes this moment to appreciate her surroundings.

inhaling the aromas of different food, her eyes wander along the shining street lights that brighten the district as her ears embrace the sound of chattering. she can feel the liveliness of this place through the people's laughter as the beautiful colors of neon signs that decorate the night life.

her lips curve into a lovely smile.

when she lived in busan, her parents never allowed her to go far from her home, only to the closest mall, cafes, and grocery stores from their house. she always hung out with siyeon since she was her only friend, only going to the place she wanted to. being the obedient child she was, she never took a step out of that boundary, afraid of the punishments that will later come.

but here she was, free from those chains.

"i got spicy rice cakes for you!"

eunbi perks her head to the side to see her cousin running up to her with a steaming cup in his hand. clapping her hands in excitement, she gladly takes her food into her possession and thanks him for the deliciousness before digging in.

they walk around the place a little more, both mouths filled with rice cakes since the little one is nice enough to share her food, as the male rambles about his day today. being the polite person she is, she listens to his talking and laughs whenever she mentions something funny.

but then, they spot a crowd surrounding a specific area.

hoseok gleams with anticipation when he hears the music playing in his ears, slowly drawn to the crowd, while the female chuckles at the way his body naturally moves to the beat. nonetheless, they go to the concentration of people to check it out.

in the center of the circle is a group of boys, all decked in black, performing a dance for their audience. the intense beat of the music loudly pulses in her ear while the dance steps are precisely executed in a uniform fashion. the expression of each member radiates an alluring charisma that entices everyone all around them.

she eagerly taps her cousin's shoulder and points at the group. "hoseok-oppa, is this what you guys do?"

the said male turns his head and nods. "something like that. we do dance covers and we perform our songs as well."

"wow," she says in awe. "you guys are so cool."

eunbi looks over to her cousin to see him grinning like a maniac, bobbing his head to the beat as his eyes continue to watch their performance.

hoseok is known for his perfection in dance- a literal master when it comes to performing and creating dances. although she has not witnessed it in person, she has heard stories from her brother about how strict hoseok was during rehearsals, so seeing him reacting this way is surprising.

they must be _that_ good.

intrigued by this group, she taps the person beside her.

"sorry if i'm bothering you, but can you tell me what the name of this group is?"

politely enough, they answer her with a simple response.

"you must be new here," they notice, earning a nod from her. "this group is ateez, but they come here once in a while since they're high school students."

"ah okay," she says before bowing to them. "thank you."

she checks her phone to see that everyone is finished setting up their area and waiting for the two of them to come back. tugging the hem of her older cousin's jacket, she pulls him out of the crowd and makes her way to their relatives despite the fuss he was creating for her.

but before they left, she caught one of the member's attention with a small wave, unexpectedly being the one person that stood out the most to her during their performance. she motions him to open his hands, where she placed a few bucks, and flashes him a smile.

"you guys did well out there," she comments in a quiet voice. "i can tell that everyone worked hard."

even though the shadow of his cap concealed his face, she can see a dimpled smile appear on his lips. from his appearance, he is a very cute person compared to his betraying demeanor when on stage. she notices the slight roughness of his hands and concludes that he practices a lot for these events.

"thank you for watching us," he says, the smile still on his face. "we really appreciate your support."

that voice.

he reminds her of someone she knows.

before she could stare at his face any longer, she catches herself in mid-thought and pulls down her cap a little. thank goodness she wore this accessory or else she would be embarrassing herself with her red, rosy cheeks.

squeezing the tips of his fingers as a sign of encouragement, she does a small bow to him before departing from the crowd, a thought coming to mind.

 _i wonder how_ _san_ _'s doing right now._


	25. Chapter 25

**_"for that, i'll say goodbye."_ **

**-let go**

"are you sure that you don't want me to walk you to the entrance?"

eunbi looks over her shoulder to see her brother flashing her a worried expression.

"yes i'm sure," she sighs as she opens the door of the car. "i will be fine."

"what happens if that girl is waiting for you there?"

she slaps her forehead with her hand, already regretting the fact that she chose her brother to drive her to school today. "i already told my friends to wait at the gate, so you don't have to worry."

hearing that makes him let out a sigh of relief. "okay, but if anything happens call me or the others okay?"

she nods before placing a small peck on his forehead. "i'll see you later."

she steps out of the black vehicle, feeling refreshed after a week of doing absolutely nothing, and takes her first stride toward school. she can feel the sensation of anticipation building within her as she gets closer and closer, thoughts of everyone's reactions exciting her.

her? nervous?

fuck no.

she is park eunbi, the screaming queen, the baddest bitch alive.

spotting a cluster of boys standing in front of the school gate, a smile pulls on the girl's lips as her hand waves for their attention. they look over to her direction and immediately the one with red highlights in his hair rushes over to her when he notices her open arms, tackling her into a hug.

"eunbi!"

"woah there sanshine," the brunette giggles, ruffling his soft hair. "i just got here."

his head nuzzles in the crook of her neck. "i just missed you a lot, that's all."

her heart melts at his cuteness and she tightens the hug. "i missed you too."

suddenly, the boy is pushed to the side and a new pair of arms pulls her into an embrace. "time's up san-ah, it's my turn to hug the princess!"

"ah wooyoung!" she squeals when her body is lifted off the ground and twirled around in the air.

the black-haired boy holds her by the waist tenderly and abruptly kisses her on the forehead, earning a disgusted expression and a push to the ground. "princess, you're so mean!"

ignoring him, she ventures toward the rest of the boys as she furiously wipes her forehead. "hey, does anyone have any hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes?"

"yah!"

the remaining boys laugh at how stupid their friend looked on the floor before greeting the female with their smiles. they catch up a little by asking each other about their week, exchanging the little details with one another.

seonghwa cups her cheeks and turns her head to the side to check on the injuries on her face, a sense of relaxation overcoming his concerns. "i'm glad that you recovered well."

"you're such a worrywart," hongjoong sighs while pinching the bridge of his nose. "she's a strong girl. she can take care of herself."

"yep!" the girl beams in agreement. "surprisingly the bruises went away after a week and the cuts have healed."

"that's good to know," yeosang comments as he leans against the gate.

although his eyes are focusing on his phone, the blond male adds one more thing to the conversation. "but if you need me to send someone to the hospital, i will gladly do it."

"thanks yeosang," she replies as she stifles a laugh from the offer.

someone's head then balances on top of hers and leans some of their weight onto her back, groaning with exhaustion. "i'm so tired."

already knowing who it is, she decides to tease the male. "hi so tired, i'm eunbi."

"that's not my name, i'm mingi!"

"i'm playing with you," she cackles, a wide grin spreading on her lips, before softly pushing him off her. "let's go to class now since everyone is here."

after reuniting and catching up with her friends, the group begins their way into school with the female as the center of attention. everyone stops their chattering and avert their gazes from one another to watch them powerfully enter the campus with confidence.

she can hear the side conversations about all the rumors about her and she scoffs at the fact that people are so gullible.

if they want the truth, she has it.

in the corner of her eye, she notices someone pull up beside her with a cocky smirk plastered on their face. "it looks like the ugly rat is back."

"wow, thank you for the warm welcome." she sarcastically rolls her eyes at jongho and pulls the boy in a headlock, rubbing her fist into his head.

"ow! let me go, noona!" he whines as he flails his hands around.

hearing him call her the correct term, she reluctantly releases him so he can catch his breath. "man, you love to test my patience little apple."

he holds his head in pain while glaring at the female. "yah! don't call me that when we're at school. it makes me feel unmanly!"

"then don't call me ugly rat," she negotiates, successfully ending their little fight.

the guys decide to walk the girl to class for precaution, upholding small conversations while ignoring all the comments about her being thrown around the school and observing their surroundings. once in a while, the group's laughter catches everyone's attention during their walk.

when crossing the intersection in the campus, however, they unexpectedly bump into two people they all know well.

siyeon and yunho.

at first, the males of the group wanted to take a detour and avoid those two, but after glancing at their female friend's nonchalant expression they decided to take on the obstacle with full force. noticing the return of the vocalist, siyeon walks up to the group with a smirk and taunts the girl by pushing her shoulder a little. "so, how was the suspension?"

eunbi acknowledges the tension building around her and holds her arm out so none of her friends can interfere between them.

"it was great!" she exclaims, a fake smile pulling on her lips. "i didn't have to breathe in this toxic air and see a prickly, ugly bitch for a week."

yeosang in the back turns around and covers his mouth to hide his laughter, which earns a glare from the female dancer.

"now if you excuse us," eunbi takes a step to the side.

but the girl in front of her blocks her path.

"what's wrong with checking on my friend?" she asks oh-so 'innocently'. "i hope you didn't spend the whole week crying because of what happened."

"you know how worried she was during the whole week?" yunho pitches in, bringing his girlfriend closer to him. "she barely ate and slept because of you."

"of course not," the brunette responds as an irk mark begins to appear on her temple. "but for her kind actions, i have a present for the both of you."

"oh what is-"

before siyeon could finish her question, a fist hovers in front of her face. her eyes widen at how it's so close to touching her nose, and for a few seconds, her life flashes in her mind while she breaks into cold sweat. everyone witnessing the interaction gasps in shock or stares in surprise.

no one saw that coming.

"a farewell."

not knowing what she was talking about, the vocalist meets gaze with her two best friends with a sad smile and proceeds with her explanation. "thank you guys for being in my life, because i would not meet these amazing people behind me without the both of you."

she looks over her shoulder for a little to see all the guys grinning proudly at her, helping her to continue on.

"you know, i expected better from the both of you."

she locks contact yunho's luscious brown eyes. "especially you."

"what are you blabbering about?" the light brunette, who thinks this is a joke, scoffs. "you're just talking nonsense."

"no, i am not." lowering her arm, she sighs and shakes her head in disappointment. "i understand that she's your girlfriend, but it hurts that you trust her more than me, someone you have known longer."

"so thank you, because you made me realize that the years invested in a friendship does not matter, but the amount of trust you have in the person."

she feels a gentle grasp on her trembling hand and turns her head to come across san standing beside her, staring straight forward with a confident expression. intertwining their fingers together, eunbi builds the courage to say her final words to the people who used to mean the world to her.

"i never thought there would be a day for this..."

yunho, panic clearly written in his expression, leaves his girlfriend behind and slowly approaches the girl with his hands fanned out. "we can talk this through, you know? you could just apologize to siyeon for what happened before and we can return to normal-"

"return to normal?" san rebukes, raising an eyebrow at him. "really? you have no idea what she has been going through, and you call her your best friend."

mingi joins in, placing his hand on the girl's shoulder. "whenever she's gone at lunch, you never ask where she is or even notice her absence."

seonghwa hovers over eunbi and reassuringly pats her head, which causes her to let out a pleasant hum. "she got hurt making lunch for you and siyeon, yet you never asked if she was okay."

"i don't recall thanking her for bringing chicken during practice." this time, yeosang steps up from the back and stands next to san. "maybe it was because you were busy texting your _girlfriend._ "

hongjoong goes to the front and shakes his head discontentedly. "despite the fact that you two are best friends, you never checked on her with all the bruises and scars on her face."

wrapping his arms around the brunette's neck, wooyoung rests his chin on her head and glares at yunho. "when she got into that fight with siyeon, you never asked for her side of the story."

"wow hyung." jongho cracks his knuckles loudly before rolling his sleeves up. "i never thought you were this pathetic."

hearing that, the male looks over to eunbi with a confused face. "eunbi-nie, what are they talking about-"

"don't call me that."

not wanting to make this more painful, she averts her gaze on him to the cement pathway and lets her feelings pour out.

it was now or never.

"for someone who only cares about himself, you wouldn't understand what i've been through."

when she lifts her gaze, yunho notices something different about her eyes. they don't hold the galaxy sparkles they usually hold, but something else.

**seriousness and resentment.**

"i'm always attending to your needs," she states, her unwavering gaze still locked onto his. "but you never attended mine."

"these guys did though," she softly smiles as she eyes each one of them. "despite the fact that we've only known each other for a few months, they actually care about my well-being unlike you."

"and because of that, you made me aware that i deserve better people in my life."

waving her free hand, everyone except san backs up to give the female more space while she takes in a deep breath. she leads the group away from the dumbfounded couple to her class, escaping the toxic air around them.

but before they disappear from their sight, eunbi says one more thing to yunho and siyeon.

"this is goodbye."


	26. Chapter 26

**_"maybe we're all just_ **   
**_a bunch of fools."_ **

**-let me know**

"let's go eat out to celebrate eunbi's return!"

school has ended and with nothing to do, the guys begin planning on how they will spend their afternoon today. when mingi suggests eating out, everyone eagerly cheers together at the sound of enjoying a delicious meal with each other, throwing their hands up with joy.

all except one person.

"ah sorry guys, but i'm busy today."

turning their heads toward the person, all the guys give a disappointed stare to eunbi, who is awkwardly smiling at them. she shows her teeth a little and looks at the grey cement of the walkway as she hovers her hand over her face.

wooyoung sadly puts his chin on her shoulder and pouts. "eunbi-nie, why are you always so busy? can you ditch work today and hang out with us for once?"

"yah, wooyoung." san pulls the raven-haired boy away from her. "if she's busy, then she's busy. we can't do anything about it."

"he's right," hongjoong pitches in. "we can't blame her for having a tight schedule."

sparing her a small glance, the girl mouths a 'thank you' to the two males when they meet eye contact. she looks over her shoulders to see a familiar black van slowly pulling up to the front of the school and faces her companions once again.

"it looks like my ride's here, so i'll see you guys tomorrow!" she waves at them quickly and locks her gaze on the sulky male. "wooyoung-ah, i promise that i'll make time to hang out sometime, okay?"

he sighs, not being able to resist her apologetic tone, and nods.

rushing to the passenger side of the car, eunbi plops her bottom onto the comfy seat and places her backpack between her legs before buckling her seat belt. her hands then unzip her bag and fumbles inside to dig out some sunglasses, shoving them on her face.

the driver changes the gear of the vehicle when they hear the familiar click of the buckle and turns the car out of the front of the school, entering the streets of the city. they roll down the windows to let the cool air in and hand their relative an aux cord.

"so what are we listening to dj eunbi?" jungkook asks, eyes still on the road.

the girl plugs the cord into her phone and taps her chin for a moment to ponder about today's music choice. "i think some bruno mars will do."

when she opens the music app on her phone and press play on her bruno mars playlist, "24k magic" blasts and they bob their head to the beat while shouting the lyrics. the neighboring cars flash the pair a concerned look before passing them on the streets, but they ignore their looks and continue jamming to the music.

the female spots their cafe from a few miles away and anticipates for her cousin to slow down and turn to their staff parking lot; however, he does not take one glimpse of the building and zooms right past it. confused, she looks over to the male with a puzzled expression.

"jungkook-oppa, i thought we were working today."

hearing the little one speak up, his mouth parts into an 'o' as if he realized something.

"ah, i forgot to tell you that we are going to the gym today. we closed the cafe early to go learn a dance that hoseok choreographed for one of our songs, so i was told to pick you up from school and bring you with us."

her jaw drops, dumbfounded about their plans today, and her hand brushes through her hair with frustration. "i could be eating with my friends right now, but instead i have to stay in a smelly room for hours."

"after what happened to you, we're not letting you hang out with your friends after school."

"oh about that." she scoffs as she recalls the recent memory. "i broke ties with those two people."

now that catches the older one's attention. he lowers the volume of the music so it would not be screaming over their conversation as he questions her about the occurrence.

"did you beat them up? please tell me you did."

she playfully rolls her eyes at the inquiry. "oh, i wish i did. but instead, i gave them a good talk and then dumped them."

removing his hand from the wheel, jungkook faces his opened palm toward her and receives a high five from the passenger. "that's my feisty cousin."

the music returns to its loud volume and the two relatives sing to their hearts intent as the car turns into a parking lot. finding an empty spot near the entrance, the male stations the vehicle and the duo exit from their seats.

the adult travels to the girl's side and takes her wrist when they cross the parking lots, wary of any unexpected appearance of cars. when they reach the curb, he leans over to her ear and whispers something before they enter the building.

immediately after walking through the automatic doors, eunbi rushes to the counter with a wincing expression, her hands balled into fists.

"ma'am, do you have a restroom?" she pleads as she slightly jogs in place.

the lady kindly gives her the directions and the brunette sprints to the restroom, not giving a single glance to her cousin. once she enters a stall, she pulls out her phone from her pants' pocket and calls a contact.

"are you in?" she asks the person.

she listens to the inaudible conversation until the chattering dies down and a masculine voice answers her. "yeah, i'm walking to the restroom right now."

hearing his footsteps through the phone, eunbi simply crouches on the floor as she waits for him to arrive at her location.

"okay, i'm right in front so you can come out now."

with the coast clear, she casually walks out from her hiding place and meets up with her cousin, who is holding a part of his jacket open. the male conceals the girl as they sneak into the dance room where everyone else was practicing.

although her eyesight was covered, she swore she heard some familiar voices in the gym. however, she reminded herself that her friends were hanging out today and a gym would not be a place for that.

nonetheless, they reach their destination and look both sides for cameras and employees before opening the door to the room. the creaking sound catches everyone's attention, distracting them from practice, and all eyes are on the two relatives that have just arrived. eunbi is pushed into the open space and jungkook quickly closes the door, the two of them letting out a sigh of relief.

namjoon notices their peculiar reaction and slaps his face with his palm as a sign of disappointment. "jungkook-ah, please don't tell me that you snuck eunbi in without paying."

he receives two sheepish smiles as a reply.

"aye, at least they are here now." taehyung approaches them and slings his arms around their shoulders. "man, i'm tired."

"eunbi-nie," jimin calls out. "give your brother a hug."

being the loving sister she is, the girl does a gagging expression and pushes him onto the floor when he was inches away from her. she earns an obnoxious whine from the older male, plugging her ears in pain.

seokjin, who was behind him, lifts him off the ground with his bottle-filled arms while the plastic containers fall onto the ground. the female leans down to pick them up and gives back to the oldest cousin after her brother was off the floor.

"ah thank you eunbi," he says as he places the bottles back into his grasp. "but i think there is someone in the room who needs your help more than anything."

she tilts her head to the side in confusion. "who?"

he nudges his head in a specific direction instead of saying the name out loud, so she averts her gaze to see hoseok frustratingly running his hand through his hair. his forehead is creased while his eyebrows scrunch together, both signs of stress.

"man, you guys must be really bad at dancing for this to happen." she shakes her head in disappointment before whispering into seokjin's ear. "get the boys out, i'll see what i can do."

with that, the male convinces everyone to come with him to refill their water bottles as the youngest relative stays behind with the dancing machine. she walks over to him and settles herself down next to his sitting figure.

"oppa?"

she receives no response.

"hoseok-oppa?"

still no response.

"yah, hoseok."

even speaking to him informally gains no response.

she sighs. "you are so hard to deal with."

his moods are the worst to deal with.

she stands up and observes the room to spot a speaker in the corner of the room, an idea popping up in her mind. approaching the electronic machine, she takes out her phone and unplugs the aux cord that is connected to her cousin's phone so her phone can be plugged in.

when she opens her music app, her finger glides on the screen until her eyes find the perfect song. she presses the play button and the beats of the music begins to fill the silent room.

"youth" by troye sivan, her favorite song.

the male then starts bobbing his head and lifts his gaze from the wooden floor, a reaction she has been looking for.

on the tip of her toes, eunbi moves a little to the song while her eyes watch her figure in the mirror. her feet and her hands change in different positions every second as she tries to remember what her brother has taught her, waiting for pre-chorus to arrive. she literally looks like a fish out of water, but if she has to make herself dance like a fool for her grumpy relative, then it is worth it.

"oh? you know the dance to this song?"

the girl turns her head from the mirror to hoseok, who is now walking toward her. with a smile, she nods enthusiastically. "jimin taught me when he visited home last year, but i'm not very good at it."

he gives her an impressed expression before standing a few feet behind her. "okay then, let's try it together, shall we?"

facing their reflections, they both look into each other's gaze in the mirror and nod for three counts before immersing their emotions in the performance. they spin, jump, kick, and stagger to the song as eunbi sings along with the song, her heavenly voice ringing throughout the room.

when their bodies position themselves toward one another, she can see that happy smile pulling on his lips and his eyes creasing into crescents. the proud feeling blooms in her chest at the sight and she returns the small gesture.

that's the hoseok she knows.

the dance ends with the both of them facing the opposite wall, though the music still plays throughout the room. their chests rise up and down quickly from the amount of moving they did while they turn to each other. feeling accomplished, the male rushes over to his little cousin and engulfs her into an enormous hug.

"ah, you danced so good!" he beams as he sways her side-to-side. "i never knew the little one could move like that."

not a lot of people know about this little talent of hers, so she sheepishly grins when she hears his compliment. "thank you, oppa."

being the affectionate person he is, he places a big smooch on her head that causes her to glare at him. however, she does not have the heart to scold him for his actions and rests her exhausted body in his embrace.

on the inside, their interaction can be seen as a cute, loving cousin relationship.

but on the outside, it can be seen as something else.

especially after someone peers through the window of the dance room and immediately flees from the scene, assuming the latter.


	27. Chapter 27

**_"just keep it up."_ **

**-sunrise**

"welcome to the magic shop!"

eunbi looks up from the table she is cleaning and immediately grins when she recognizes the entering customer. when they notice her, the side of their eyes crinkle and their lips spread into an excited smile.

"van!"

seeing them approaching her, the girl scolds them to get themselves a drink before interacting with her. she finishes wiping down the table and heads to the back of the counter to clean the rag and her hands before meeting up with the customer.

the pleasant sound of one of her coworkers singing throughout the cafe, the enjoyable scent of coffee beans and tea bags, the peaceful view of customers chattering with one another...

she missed the atmosphere of this place.

someone from behind leans their head on her back while she dries her wet hands on a towel.

"van stop stealing my fans," jimin whines as he loosely hangs his arms on her shoulders. "they were mine first."

"sorry, not sorry." as she lifts up her coworker's weight from her body, she playfully sticks her tongue out. "now if you excuse me, chimmy. i have a customer to attend to."

when his little sister turns her back on him, he leans over to the closest person, who happens to be taehyung. he holds his chest and closes his eyes as if he has been shot by an arrow, shaking his head in a loving way. "she's growing up so fast."

"yeah," he nods, wiping the fake tears from his red mask. "i'm so proud of our little girl."

"yah! i can hear you!" the girl's yelling earns her a laugh from her relatives.

taking a step from the counter, she spots the person waiting for her at a small table and walks over to them. they seem to be daydreaming about something because their eyes are focusing on something outside the cafe while their thumb caresses the edge of their cup, a smile tickling his lips. she settles herself in the seat in front of them and rests her elbows on the table, balancing her head on her hands.

it looks like they have a lot in mind.

"wooyoung-ssi, what are you thinking about?"

the said boy shudders from his thoughts and averts his gaze from the window to the grey-white worker. "oh! i didn't know you were here."

"you're ignoring the question," she says as a smirk curves its way onto her face. "were you thinking of something naughty?"

taken back by the sudden inquiry, he waves his hands frantically from the misunderstanding as his cheeks bloom in red. "n-no! i was th-th-th-thinking of s-something else!"

"something else?" she teasingly wiggles her eyebrows. "what's this 'something else' you talk about?"

"you know, i didn't see you last week. where were you?"

"i was out of town to visit my family," she lies, although it was partially true. "now that i answered you question, answer mine."

he sighs. "you're really going to continue pestering me until i tell you, huh?"

"i'm waiting~"

letting out a regretful sigh once more, he pinches the bridge of his nose before telling the female.

"i was thinking about a girl."

her jaw drops and her eyes shimmer in excitement when she hears the last word, feeling anticipation building within her.

_he must be talking about the girl he's going to ask to the dance._

"who's the lucky girl?" she smiles, pushing him to tell her more about the special person.

"van," the male wails while covering his red face. "can we talk about something else?"

the worker leans over the table and ruffles his hair. "aw, is little wooyoung embarrassed? that's so cute."

she returns her bottom to the seat and waits for the male to calm down and remove his hands from concealing his facial expressions. never once has she seen him acting like this, and she finds it adorable.

in the quietest voice possible, wooyoung calls out to the girl with his hands still on his face. "van?"

she hums in response.

"i think the girl likes someone else."

immediately, her eyes widen at the sound of those words falling out of his mouth.

_wooyoung, the playboy, and a one-sided love? impossible._

"i think you're just imagining things," she reassures, not believing in his statement. "i mean look at you: handsome, talented, funny, and... did i say handsome yet?"

she receives a small chuckle from the raven-haired boy, though it seemed rather forced compared to his signature dolphin laugh. wooyoung has never appeared defeated or discontented in front of her, which causes her to frown a little.

"wooyoung-ssi," eunbi reaches over to hold his shaky hands and pulls them down to see his miserable expression.

taking a better look at him, she notices how frail and undernourished he is. she can practically see his bones rising to the surface of his arms and his cheeks, his darkened eye bags hovering underneath his glassy eyes, and his skin becoming paler. it seems as if he has been dieting and not been receiving enough sleep.

she suddenly remembers that he did not eat anything during lunch.

or the day before.

he hasn't been taking care of himself lately.

the brunette gently squeezes his hands. "what makes you think that she likes some other boy over you? maybe she's just really good friends with them and hasn't developed any feelings for anyone yet. she never declared it herself, did she?"

he shakes his head. "no."

"you should try your best to win her heart then," she reasons, mentioning the positive side of this situation. "it's better to start now then later."

 _something i should have done when i had the chance._ for a second,a bittersweet smile appears but quickly vanishes into a thin line.

biting his bottom lip, he nods in agreement as a small smile appears on his lips. "you're right, i shouldn't give up now."

"that's the spirit."

relief washes over the worker when she realizes that her customer is back to normal, her mouth curving into a cheerful grin.

"now then, what's our first step into getting this girl to like you?" she questions, not wanting her identity to be at risk although she already knows the boy's answer.

"we have a showcase this friday and a dance a few weeks after," he states as he avoids the female's gaze, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "i was planning to ask her to the dance on the day of the showcase."

she can feel her heart melt at the amount of thought he has put for this girl, but stifles her reaction with a casual thumbs-up. "i like that idea."

his eyes then widen as if he has come to a realization and locks eye contact with her brown eyes. he takes her hands and eagerly shakes them in his hold as he asks her a question.

"are you free this friday?"

already knowing the reason behind the sudden inquiry, she shakes her head as a sign of declining. "i actually have an event to attend to that day. why do you ask?"

although she made another excuse, she technically isn't lying about her situation on that day.

"aw man," he pouts while removing his hands from her grasp to cross his arms. "i wanted you to see my friends and i perform, and you could see the girl i like."

"you can always show me some videos-"

"van, we need some extra hands on an order!"

hearing one of her cousins shouting at her, she reluctantly stands up from her seat and bushes her hand through her hair. after sitting for a while, she needed to stretch a little, so she tilts her head side to side and cracks her knuckles before she pushes her seat. her hand pats the male's head for one more time and she flashes him an encouraging smile.

"i wish you luck on your performance and your proposal."

the customer stands up as well and engulfs her into a hug to express his gratitude. "thank you."

he decides to walk her to the counter since it was getting dark and he received a text from his friends to return to the dorm. with a small exchange of a wave, he exits the cafe and disappears from her sight.

entering into her favorite part of work, eunbi helps her cousin, seokjin, with completing an order. once in a while, they exchange small jokes and laugh at how stupid they are; their bright personalities lighten up the workspace around them.

although she was focused on creating drinks for the customers throughout her work shift, she could not help but wonder about the identity of the girl that has captured wooyoung's heart. the thought of her friend with a girl that makes him happy causes her to beam with excitement.

_whoever it is, she is a lucky girl._

that's what she initially thought.


	28. Chapter 28

**_"the true light that_ **   
**_came like destiny."_ **

**-light**

"you never fail to amaze me, ms. park."

mrs. hwang leans back on her chair with her arms support her head, a satisfied smile pulling on her lips. her gaze never leaves the figure before as they bow to her as a sign of gratitude for the compliment.

"do you think i am ready for friday?" eunbi asks quietly.

"honey, you are more than ready." this earns a small grin from her student.

the woman stands up from her seat and gently pats the girl with a contented expression plastered on her face. "now then, remember that you have rehearsal tomorrow and you need to follow the plan we made."

understanding her reminders, she nods before collecting her belongings and bidding her vocal instructor goodbye. she steps out of the classroom, glancing to both sides of the hallway, before she begins her way to the outside.

it has been a few hours since school has ended, so she doesn't expect anyone to be around as she passes the classrooms. when she arrives at the practice rooms, the girl is taken back at the sudden sound of cluttered notes from a piano. one of the doors fling open and a body is pushed out of the room, followed by three standing figures.

immediately, the vocalist rushes to the fallen person's aid and recognizes them as one of her classmates: jeon hana.

"hana-ssi, are you okay?" she asks as she checks her exposed arms and her delicate face for any injuries. "are you hurt anywhere?"

"i'm okay," she says with a painful smile. "it was just a push, that's all."

"i cannot believe that a flunkie from class f think they have the audacity to take priority over a practice room."

the pinkish blonde scoffs at the name she was bestowed and looks over her classmate's shoulder to see three male students towering over them, all of them wearing red. laughing at the sight of the two female students sprawled on the floor, one of them kneels to their level with a smirk.

"oh look, another flunkie." he taunts, receiving more laughter from his friends. "how does it feel being where you guys belong?"

"leave her alone." the injured girl tries to move her assistance away from her, not wanting to involve her in this affair. "she has nothing to do with this."

but being the one who can't hold her tongue, the brunette pretends to take a moment to ponder about her experience so far. "you know, it's actually pretty great. at least it's not getting into my head like some assholes from class a."

and she flashes him an innocent smile.

feeling the collar of her grey shirt being yanked on, eunbi's face becomes a few inches away from the stranger. she can practically feel the heat of his anger touching her skin, a reaction that she expected.

"what did you say?"

she shrugs. "what? i thought we were giving each other names based on our class level: flunkie for class f and asshole for class a. did you want me to call you guys asshats instead-"

"aren't you that girl who got suspended because you beat up siyeon?" one of the guys in the back notices.

"and what if i am?" she raises an eyebrow, unimpressed by his description of her. "if you want, i can give your asses a nice whooping like how i did to her."

the guy who is holding her shirt outlines her facial features and takes in every single detail. "you're a feisty one, i like you. why did you fight siyeon for that yunho dude when you can have me?"

"the fuck?" she glances to her sides with a scowl on her face. "why would i want you with that amount of ugliness written all over you? get away from me."

with a strong push and a forceful kick, eunbi is able to escape his grasp and grabs hana's wrist while the male shouts in pain. they both stand up as they back away from the group with their hands out in front of them as a sign to not get closer to them.

unexpectedly, his friends begin laughing at how weak their companion is, pointing at him in a mockingly way, instead of assisting him. "minsu got insulted and kicked by a girl!"

this angers the male once again, his face blooming in red as one of his eyes twitches with irritation. unconsciously, his hands come to his red sweater's sleeves and pull them up until his elbows are visible while he grits his teeth.

the 'minsu' guy scrunches his eyebrows together and his breathing becomes faster than before. "this bitch really had the guts to touch me."

when his friends notice his peculiar behavior, they immediately hold him back in an arm lock as the angry male flails his legs in the air.

"calm down minsu-ah!" one of them consoles. "we don't want to get in trouble because you beat up some girls from class f."

"they're not worth our time," the other adds, cold sweat breaking through his skin. "they're just a waste of talent."

abruptly, eunbi takes a few steps toward the boys with her hands on her hips, clearly unhappy after hearing the last words of the statement. "excuse me?"

"i'm sorry to break it to you, but that girl on the floor is actually a big baby." the group breaks into laughter as they recall the memories of hearing hana singing. "she's always crying in the practice rooms."

"shut up." the victim growls. "she doesn't need to know about this."

minsu pretends to be taken back at her rebuking attitude, his eyes widening a little, before rolling his eyes. "oh please, what i'm saying is true. your singing is so bad that even you know it yourself. you think that practice will help, but it never will."

gritting her teeth together, the female student stifles her tears from falling down her cheeks by avoiding eye contact with the girl beside her. a desire to plug her ears builds within her and her eyes scrunch in embarrassment.

 _he needs to shut up_ , hana repeats to herself. _he needs to shut up!_

and he does.

infuriated by minsu's comment, eunbi marches toward the guy with balled fists and throws a powerful punch to the jaw. her face is colored in red and her eyes are burning with hatred as she packs in another punch.

the pinkish blonde, being shocked by the sight of this, runs over to her classmate and drags her away from the injured guy. "eunbi-ssi, calm down!"

"i'm not done with him!" the enraged female bellows, swinging her arms around. "he had the audacity to not only insult class f, but also you!"

those words that slipped from her mouth makes the girl go to ease.

minsu, on the other hand, has been stripped from his pride and horror is written all over his face as he cups his face; he has never been in so much pain before. his friends, frightened of the girl, pick up their companion on the floor and drag him away from the scene.

"that's right, you pussies!" she yells as she watches them flee. "just wait until the showcase comes around and let's see which class level has the flunkies!"

when they are out of her sight, she finally relaxes and embraces the exhaustion that follows after the rush of adrenaline. her classmate. although still shocked by witnessing her violent behavior, hana gently lays her classmate down on the floor so she can rest, her chest slowly rising up and down.

the sound the echoing footsteps disappear from her ears makes the tired girl smile with victory as she sprawls her body on the cool ground. "man, those douche bags are so dumb."

trying not to be awkward, the victim gets onto the floor and bows to eunbi, full of gratitude. "thank you so much eunbi-ssi."

"ah, it was nothing." she waves her hand to dismiss her unnecessary action before she rolls onto her stomach to make eye contact with her classmate. "those guys deserved what was coming."

something wet falls onto her hands, so hana lifts her head from the ground and touches her face. 

she's crying.

she wipes her eyes numerous times to stop herself from sobbing, but for some reason, the tears continue to drip down on her cheeks. before she knew it, she was breaking down completely in front of someone she barely knew.

eunbi frantically scrambles onto her knees when she discerns the familiar sound. "oh no, please don't cry."

the brunette scoots herself closer to her classmate and engulfs her in a reassuring embrace, rocking the pinkish blonde side-to-side. she can feel her grey sweater absorb the girl's tears as she strokes her hair in a comforting manner.

"don't let their words get into your head," eunbi soothes. "they don't understand what you have been going through."

it is ironic how such an aggressive girl who has no fear of hurting someone can be polite and caring at this moment, but having someone there for her is something hana has always desired.

a smile pulls on her lips.

these two may not know it yet...

but this was the start of a new friendship.


	29. Chapter 29

**_"just want you to stay."_ **

**-stay**

"babe, are you ready for rehearsal today?"

yunho looks over to his girlfriend, who has a beautiful smile on her face. her hazel eyes twinkle with stars of interest as her petite hand wraps around his, her long hair flowing behind her.

he smiles back while admiring the beauty beside him. "of course! my group has our dance routine perfected!"

"i can't wait to see yours then!"

after a few minutes of walking in the hallways, they arrive in front of a pair of doors that lead to the theater. being the gentleman he is, the light brunette opens one of the doors and allows the girl to enter the room before he follows her from behind.

since the two of them were in different performing groups, they decide to split up and meet up with their members, who are waiting on different sides of the theater. they bid each other goodbye and place a kiss on their lips once they spot their friends from afar. departing from one another, the male catches the attention of his companions with a wave of a hand.

when they notice him, the guys flash him a polite smile and open up their circle to him, so he can join them. yunho opens his arms and slings them onto mingi's and seonghwa's shoulders as his feet jitter with excitement.

"is everyone here?" the dance leader asks while looking around the circle. "the stage is first-come-first-serve for practice."

wooyoung shakes his head. "nope, not yet."

hongjoong gives the raven-boy a confused look, taking attendance once more. "everyone is here though, who are we missing-"

"sorry i'm late!"

immediately, the circle creates an open space for the latecomer to squeeze in while they catch their breath. all eyes are on them, widening when they recognize the person.

"eunbi is here!" wooyoung attempts to embrace her but stops at the sight of a hand.

huffing with exhaustion, the girl glares at him while her hands are on her bent legs. "aish, leave me alone for once wooyoung-ah."

everyone else greets her with their 'hellos' and their grins, which she responds to tiredly. despite her lack of energy, she manages to muster a smile from her lips.

then she looks over to yunho. "hi."

his mind goes blank.

it has been four days.

four days since he has seen her small, cute figure.

four days since he has heard her heavenly voice.

four days since he has met her gorgeous eyes.

it has been four days.

yet here she is, standing in front of him.

not being able to speak, he simply nods in response to her greeting.

"okay," wooyoung claps his hands together to gain the group's attention. "since everyone is here, you guys need to claim the stage while i assign eunbi her seat."

"seat?" yeosang raises an eyebrow at the peculiar command. "you know, why is eunbi even here?"

eunbi rolls her eyes as she lifts her hand that is currently holding her phone. "wooyoung wants me to play camerawoman for your performance, so he told me to come to rehearsal today and practice recording."

"yes," the black-haired boy says. "now, i need her in a specific seat that catches all the good angles of the dance so go and take the stage before someone else does!"

with that, everyone scurries off to their designated locations. yunho, being the closest to the platform, climbs the small set of stairs and successfully claims the spot for his group. the blinding lights shine into his eyes, causing him to shield his sight with his hand.

he takes a moment to observe the large auditorium as he waits for all the members to step onto the stage. spotting his girlfriend in the corner with her group, he sends her a flying kiss, which he receives back from her. the affection they have for each other is immense.

his eyes then continue to scan the area after the small interaction, his head slowly turning to the right while waving at his other friends, and locks onto a familiar pair of people. wooyoung is ushering eunbi into a seat that is located in the middle of its row and the center of the room. the girl flicks her hand at him to get him to leave her be, but he is clearly ignoring her request.

nonetheless, she grabs her device and holds it vertically with one hand as the other hand lays on the armrest. boredom is written on her face as she moves her phone around for the perfect angle of the stage.

from behind, the black-haired boy extends his arms out to correct the phone's position in her hand while he casually leans his body closer to her. his face hovers next to hers to tell her the adjustments of the recording, which earns no reaction whatsoever.

understanding her mistake, she simply nods as a sign of acknowledgement before using her free hand to slap his face away from her without looking.

yunho's smile falters a little.

their exchange of words and actions reminds him of the memories he shares with eunbi.

the memories that have gone bittersweet.

the memories that could have continued growing if it wasn't for-

he shakes his head to rid his thoughts.

he shouldn't be lingering in the past, what is done is done.

the light brunette escapes his mind space when he hears a dolphin laugh erupt on stage, meaning that wooyoung has finally arrived. with that, the male turns around and gathers his members around him and reminds them of the dance positions before dispersing them into their opening spots.

the music cues in and atmosphere in the theater completely changes once the first step is taken; the lights in the audience are dimmed and all eyes are on them now. the charisma of the group is unbearable with their smooth dance moves and their alluring expressions.

when yunho arrives in the middle of the group, never once does he leave his piercing gaze from the camera. his demeanor shown through his movements screams, _"look at me, and only me."_

but eunbi simply turns her head to the side a little and politely covers her mouth with her hand as she yawns.

after a few seconds of the music has passed, the center of attention changes to jongho, and her expression changes almost immediately. her eyes crinkle into crescents a little while her hand comes up to her mouth once more to stifle her laughter.

the tall male notices the change in expression.

once their practice on stage has ended, the boys rush down the stairs and head toward the girl to see their video.

"eunbi-ah, how was it?"

"did it look okay?"

"were there any mistakes made?"

"was the dance alright?"

"i looked sexy on stage, right princess?"

hearing the last question being thrown at her, the vocalist's face scrunches in disgust. "uh, no."

"but other than that, you guys did amazing." she flashes a smile to everyone.

everyone except yunho embraces her and sway side-to-side as the laughter in the group grows.

the light brunette watches from afar, being too tired to move, and settles himself in a seat nearby. his bothersome thoughts return once again as he runs his hand through his hair, a sigh escaping from his lips.

for some reason, the scene unfolding in front of him is infuriating in his eyes: the way seonghwa and hongjoong ruffle her hair, the way san and wooyoung engulf her in another hug, the way mingi and yeosang high-five her when she raises her hands up, the way jongho teases her to the breaking point...

 _it makes no sense_ , he realizes. _i was her best friend,_ ** _the one she_** ** _supposedly_** ** _loves_** _..._

_yet here i am, being replaced by others._


	30. Chapter 30

**_"raise your hand and scream_ **   
**_for a bursting start."_ **

**-say my name**

"eunbi-ah, are you sure you don't want us to come and watch?"

the girl looks away from the window and meets the gazes of the four youngest relatives in the car, all of them staring at her with a regretful expression. the remaining cousins are in the vehicle behind them, listening through the walkie-talkie in jungkook's hand.

"it's okay," she replies, a sad smile pulling on her lips. "i think the performances will be posted online sometime later, so we can watch it together whenever it's uploaded."

taehyung, who is seated beside her, wraps his arms around her in a solemn manner.

"we're sorry!" he wails as he nuzzles his face into his cousin's black t-shirt. "if it wasn't on a friday night-"

being annoyed with her immature relative, the little one shoves him away from her, causing him to bump into her brother. "for the love of jesus christ, stop being over dramatic. you guys have a bunch of fans waiting for you at daehango."

"we do apologize for the inconvenience though," namjoon says through the portable device as a chorus of hums from the rest of the boys blends in the background. "it's your first performance of the school year and we won't be there in person to support you."

"it's okay," she sighs. "stuff like this happens sometimes."

when they arrive at her school, eunbi opens the door of the vehicle and steps out onto the sidewalk with her bag on her arm. she turns around to face her relatives in the two cars and shows them a thumbs-up with a weird squatting pose as a sign of good luck for their performance tonight. returning the encouragement, the group of males stick their heads out of the windows and cheer for her before they depart to their designated location.

entering the campus, she takes her time to walk to the theater until a fairly large shadow towers over her petite figure. the sun is setting, the lampposts are still off, and no one unknowingly is around them, making her tremble in fear. slowly, she turns herself around to face the person behind her with her hands balled in fists.

once she recognizes them, she lets out a breath she has been unconsciously holding. "jesus christ, you scared me."

standing before her is yeosang, who is oblivious of her presence since his eyes are on his phone, and bumps into her. he is about to glare at whoever he collided into, but the gaze changes immediately when his eyes meet hers.

"hey eunbi," he greets with a small smile.

"hi." seeing him alone is quite unexpected, so she leans to the side to check something from behind. "where is the rest of the group?"

hearing the question, he sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. "i was sleeping and they forgot to wake me up."

"why am i not surprised?" she chuckles as she checks her wristwatch. "oh shoot, we have ten more minutes before the showcase starts!"

their eyes widening at the amount of time left, the both of them sprint to the theater as they laugh at their stupidity along the way. they evade the walking pedestrians, who were blocking their path, and teasingly push each other to get one of them to trip.

eventually, the pair arrives at their designated location and spots the remaining members waiting for yeosang in the front. eunbi waves at them while racing the blond male, not paying attention to her surroundings and only facing forward. noticing her lack of focus, her competitor pushes her to the side with a smirk.

the girl loses her footing and stumbles forward, her heartbeat banging against her chest in fear. she closes her eyes shut at the anticipation of colliding into the hard concrete pavement and shoots her hands in front of her to protect her.

but then, someone swoops in and catches her in an embrace.

she bumps into the person's chest and instinctively wraps her arms around their waist as the both of them tumble to the floor. groans escape from their throats while they sit up, lifting their heads to meet each other's gaze. everyone else runs over to them with worried faces to check for injuries.

"i didn't know you were falling for me, princess."

wooyoung rubs the back of his neck and flashes her a cheeky grin, earning an eye roll from the girl.

"you wish," she scoffs, brushing off the nonexistent dust from her shoulders. "but thank you for... saving me?"

they both laugh when they recall the raven boy's poor attempt at preventing the fall, which resulted in him joining her.

suddenly, a pair of arms go underneath eunbi's shoulders and hoist her body from the floor. she is taken back at the action and her unstable legs stumble backward into someone behind her. looking up, she makes eye contact with the person.

"san?"

although the male was holding a fierce gaze, she notices a small blush arise onto the surface of his cheeks.

"let's head inside," he simply says as he lets go of her and slowly departs from the group. "the showcase is starting soon."

returning his focus forward, he enters the building while ignoring the group's shouts. wooyoung, jongho, and mingi look at each other and the shrug at his peculiar behavior before the red-haired male lifts his friend off the ground. hongjoong and seonghwa assume that he was in one of his moods, so they ignore him and examine their female friend for any scratches.

however, the girl's gaze never leaves his figure.

 _it was that same reaction last time_ , she notices. _that same reaction when she and jongho were teasing one another._

she tilts her head as she continues pondering about her friend's odd actions. _was he... jea-_

before she could finish her thought, yeosang grabs her hands and shake them frantically. "i'm so sorry for pushing you too hard. i didn't think you would fall."

"don't apologize," she flashes him a reassuring smile. "we were just playing around, that's all."

"but you almost got hurt-"

a finger is placed on his lips.

"i'm fine, yeosang-ah." eunbi averts her gaze from him and locks onto the auditorium. "we should head into the theater before they stop letting anyone in."

eventually, everyone heads into the building after the incident, chattering their way through the crowded entrance. they can feel the excitement of the audience when they open the doors, the lights sparkling above them.

unfortunately, they had to part ways since performers and viewers have different areas of seating in the theater, so they bid goodbye to one another before approaching their appointed seating. distinguishing a white piece of paper on a chair, the girl recalls wooyoung telling her about a spot among the audience reserved for her. she decides to approach it, seeing her name written on it.

settling herself down, she takes off her small bag and places it onto her lap as a sigh slips from her lips.

"eunbi?"

she turns her head to the side when she hears her name and smiles at the sight of her seat neighbor. "oh, hi hana. how are you?"

"i'm good. how about you?"

"same here."

still a bit awkward after their first encounter, they exchange a few words with one another to pass time since people were still entering. hana eagerly points out the performances she is looking forward to in a brochure and eunbi nods in agreement, not really paying attention to her words but on the list of performers.

the lights then dim down and the announcer appears on stage to greet everyone, reminding them the basic manners of watching the showcase, before proceeding with the program. all the conversations die down and everyone relaxes themselves to enjoy the first performance of the evening.

as eunbi watches the show, she recalls a name she recognized on the performance list and she bites her lips to stifle a grin, exhilaration now flowing through her veins.

_#23: the masked singer (vocal-class f)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:
> 
> hi guys! thank you so much for reading this story so far- it really means a lot to me! i just wanted to tell you guys that i begin school tomorrow and will become busy with college applications soon (i'm a senior in high school!), but i have a bunch a pre-written chapters so i will still be updating. just don't be surprised when i stop posting. well anyways, i hope you guys are staying safe and healthy through this time :)


	31. Chapter 31

**_"top star with that spotlight."_ **

**-idol**

"hey hana?"

the girl shifts her focus on the stage to the person beside her. "yeah?"

eunbi puts on a sickly expression, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "can you tell me what happens in the next performances? i'm going to head to the restroom and i don't think i will make it back in time."

"oh sure!"

with that, the unwell female grabs her bag and rushes out of the theater once the recent performance ended, entering the hallway of the building. she lets out a sigh of relief when she notices no one lingering in the area and releases the grip on her abdomen.

slyly, she makes her way to the dressing room assigned to class f and quickly enters the room without alarming anyone in the passageway. mrs. hwang looks up from the clothing rack at the sound of the door opening and ushers her student in before anyone can notice her.

"ms. park, you are late!" the woman shoves a piece of clothing into her student's hand. "hurry up and go change! there is one more performance before you're up!"

the girl obliges to her teacher's order and quickly changes into her showcase attire before settling herself in a seat in front of a mirror. she can feel pieces of her hair tangle into braids as she stares at her reflection, her feet tapping one another. preparing for her performance, she warms up her throat with some exercises.

she is nervous.

she does not know why, but she is.

is it because of the number of people in the audience?

is it because of the thought of her being all alone on stage?

is it because of the sight of all eyes watching her the moment she takes a step into the light?

whatever it is behind this, she hopes this feeling goes away soon.

through the walls, the two females can hear the crowd's applause, meaning that the recent performance has ended. the girl's adrenaline begins to pump in her veins as her mind starts the countdown for her appearance under the spotlight. images of her poor singing play in her head, fear traveling down her spine.

a hand pats her shoulder, breaking the girl from her trance.

"you will do amazing out there," mrs. hwang consoles. "remember, 'don't you worry 'bout a thing.'"

hearing a familiar phrase, laughter erupts from the student. the atmosphere that was once tensed lightens up a little.

looking off to the side, the girl's eyes notice a plain, white mask laying on the wooden surface. her hands reach over to the object to observe its small features, flipping it back and forth. she hovers it in front of her face and notices that it only covered the upper part of her face, which she is grateful for.

abruptly, someone bursts through the door of the dressing room with a clipboard in their grasp and a pair of headphones on their head.

"you're up, masked singer."

fortunately, the performer has the mask concealing her identity when the scheduler averts their gaze toward the mirror. eunbi pulls back the elastic band and brings it over her head, which now completes her outfit, and lets out a shaky breath. standing up, the student flashes her teacher a small smile before embarking her way to the stage.

as the sound of their footsteps echo throughout the empty hallway, the vocalist bites her bottom lip due to her nervousness. her eyes constantly observing her surroundings and her heart is pounding against her rib cage.

out of all the days, her stage fright had to come out to play today.

the tunnel of vision slowly gets darker with each step taken before they enter backstage. there is barely any light shining in this area, crowded with the members of the stage crew. whispers fill the silence as everyone prepares for the next performance.

eunbi peers over to the side of the curtain, barely sticking out, and spots the announcer pacing around the stage while entertaining the audience with jokes. the crowd laughs and claps to their hearts' intent, forgetting about the main purpose of the showcase.

the mc glances to the back to check on their current schedule and accidentally makes eye contact with the girl behind the curtain. confirming their position in the showcase, they bring their gaze back to the people before them and hover the microphone close to their mouth.

"but wait," they say, a smile twitching on their lips. "i believe i have the best joke of the night."

they spread an arm to their right, indicating the next performer. "may i present you, the masked singer from class f!"

instead of a polite applause, laughter rings throughout the room once more as eunbi walks onto the stage. her white surplice dress sways side-to-side, brushing against her knees, with each step taken and her fingers fiddle with one another. the announcer departs from the spotlight and passes by her, snickering at the thought of the performance.

with no one else beside her, she stands alone on the stage

like an angel lost in the dark

with no hope in sight.

the crowd bring their hands out and present her a collection of their thumbs facing downward while their 'boos' bounce off the walls of the building. their expressions scrunch into disgust when they see the singer's hands reach for the microphone stand.

not wanting to look at the audience, the girl looks up to the sound booth and notices her teacher standing behind the sound manager. the woman has her hands on her hips as her foot taps impatiently for the music to start, her eyes focusing on the computer.

when she averts her gaze from the screen, she notices how timidly her student stands on the stage. from the room, her ears can make out the dissatisfaction of the viewers through their shouts of discouragement.

making eye contact with one another, the older female smiles and mouths a single word to the performer.

"sing."

eunbi was hesitant at first, but then she reminds herself the reason behind her appearance. taking in an unstable breath, she gathers all her courage to bring her attention to the shiny metal rod before her.

 _sing_ , a voice repeats in her mind. _sing._

she forces herself to move forward so the microphone is close to her mouth and she lets out a few notes to warm up.

everyone goes silent.

_sing._

now with no interruptions, she clears her throat before singing a little.

"everybody's got a thing," she begins slowly. "but some don't know how to handle it."

her eyes make their way to the sound booth again, seeing the sound manager nodding their head eagerly for her to continue as they jumble between machines. the piano accompaniment is brought to life and the audience simply stares in amazement and surprise while the performance blooms to life.

"always reachin' out in vain

just takin' the things not worth having."

she grabs the microphone stand and pulls it closer to her.

"but don't you worry 'bout a thing,

don't you worry 'bout a thing, mama."

looking up once more, she sees her teacher lifting her fingers up, a sign for her to sing louder.

"'cause I'll be standin' on the side

when you check it out."

eunbi closes her eyes for a second to calm herself when the sound of trumpets and drums blares throughout the auditorium. a smile pulls on her lips as excitement surges through her body, her voice performing to her heart's intent.

"they say your style of life's a drag

and that you must go other places."

in the corner of her view, she can see hana begin clapping her hands to the beat while rocking side-to-side. the audience was reluctant at first, but they eventually join her as they move to the music.

"just don't you feel too bad

when you get fooled by smiling faces."

with enough confidence, the performer yanks the microphone off its stand and prances around the stage. she decides to improvise on the melody of the song, adding different runs and riffs to the lyrics.

"don't you worry 'bout a thing,

don't you worry 'bout a thing, baby.

'cause i'll be standing on the side when you check it out,

when you get off your trip."

suddenly, she stops in the middle of the platform, bringing her microphone far away from her mouth. the crowd watches with anticipation and lean forward from their seats, their eyes gleaming with exhilaration.

"don't you worry 'bout a thing.

don't you worry 'bout a thing."

she gradually builds the volume of her voice as she drifts from the melody little by little.

"everybody needs a change,

a chance to check out the new.

you're the only one to see

the changes you take yourself through."

the instrumental starts to become choppy, signaling her to improvise once more. with no words to follow, her voice climbs the scale of the song in different patterns. when she arrives at her desired note, the accompaniment dies out and she allows the note to resonate in the room with a vibrato.

no one dares to breathe at this moment of glory.

when she comes to a stop, she faces the audience for a reaction, which was silence at first. but then, someone stands up and claps before the entire theater joins with applause and whistles.

a cheeky grins tugs on the vocalist's lips.

the instrumental returns to the stage after a few seconds of quietness and she resumes entertaining her viewers with her singing. once in a while, the crowd sings along with her with their arms up and moving along the flow of music.

eunbi is enjoying the attention, the exhilaration, the satisfaction of singing this song.

"don't you worry 'bout a thing" by stevie wonder.

in her perspective, this song is about living life to the fullest despite facing the struggles of reality.

and right now...

she is definitely living her life to the fullest.


	32. Chapter 32

**_"i've waited all my life."_ **

**-boy with love**

"so, what did i miss?"

eunbi, who is now in her casual outfit, settles herself back into her seat and lets out a satisfied sigh when she reclines back. oh, how she missed the comfortable feeling of the soft material of the chair.

hana immediately looks over to her, eyes filled with astonishment. "eunbi-ssi, you will not believe what i'm going to tell you."

"about what?"

"someone from our class level out-sung class a!" the pink-haired girl squeals quietly. "her solo performance was absolutely amazing and her participation in the class level collaboration was so extravagant!"

the brunette simply nods her head, stifling a proud smile from tugging on her lips. "aw man, i wish i got to see it."

they exchange a few more words with one another until the lights dim, meaning that the next performance was going to occur. the two females smile at one another before averting their gazes to the stage.

a series of dances and songs flash before them as the music fills the silence auditorium. the bright colors of their outfits light up the darkness of the theater, their facial expressions decorating the emptiness of the stage. they can feel the emotions and efforts of each single performer who stood on stage tonight through their voice or their dance moves.

when eunbi notices siyeon's group walking into the spotlight, she can not help but make a gagging expression. her seat neighbor catches her reaction in the corner of her eye and leans toward her.

"i don't like her either," she whispers. "she acts as if she's the queen of the place."

surprised by her sudden comment, her classmate's eyes widen and turn her head to face her. "that makes the two of us then."

and they quietly giggle in the audience.

eventually, the showcase arrives at the end with one more performance, a performance that will blow everyone off their seats. the two girls can see everyone chattering with each other and squirming in their seats. hana decides to open the brochure to identify the last group, gasping when she reads the list.

"oh! your friends are up!"

peering over her shoulder, eunbi skims through the list and spots the name of the last group. she takes a moment to read it, not convinced that her male companions were performing under that name. her hand covers her mouth to prevent an ugly laugh from escaping her lips as she slaps her thigh continuously.

_kq fellaz._

what a creative name for their group.

the theater becomes quiet suddenly and the sound of footsteps echo throughout the room. in the corner of her eyes, she notices a group of boys dressed in black entering the platform. remembering wooyoung's request, she grabs her phone from her bag and turns on her camera, holding it horizontal to capture the whole view.

the announcer bows their head to them before facing the audience. "with the last performance of the night, may i present you... kq fellaz!"

everyone begins to scream and shout with their applause.

her friends from below make eye contact with eunbi and see her waving at them with an encouraging smile, mouthing 'fighting!' to them. their lips tug up a little from her support before immersing themselves into their performance.

the music cues in and the atmosphere of the place changes completely.

she has seen them practice their dance a few times, but watching them with everything in place makes her jaw drop. the lighting, the choice of clothing, the duality of the members...

she would be lying if she said that her heart did not skip a beat at the sight of them.

subconsciously, her eyes search for someone in particular among her friends. it was difficult to identify each of them since their black caps are casting a shadow over their faces, but she eventually recognizes one of them.

although he never admits it himself, san has always had an alluring aura around him when he dances. his charisma is like a siren's voice, attracting the attention of the audience through his powerful moves and deceiving facial expressions. it is a spell that can never be undone until the performance is over.

a proud smile pulls on her lips.

the group of males end the dance with themselves squatting on their feet, their chests moving up and down heavily. once the intense beats of hip hop have dispersed into thin air, the viewers stand up from their seats to give them a standing ovation. their eyes glimmer with eagerness as they lift their hands together.

but then, another song plays in the theater.

"let's dance the night away!"

immediately, the boys stand up and begin dance once more to the female voices, earning a collection of shouts and squeals. their compelling aura disappears and is now replaced with a playful atmosphere as their dance moves become more feminine than before.

from afar, the brunette bites her bottom lip to stifle a laugh despite how ridiculous her companions moved to the song since the phone is still recording. tears start to build underneath her eyes while her cheeks puff up.

abruptly, confetti poppers shoot strips of sparkling paper into the air after the group has stopped dancing despite the fact that the music is still playing, celebrating the end of their performance. everyone cheers for the group as the boys gather together and bow to them. being the closest to backstage, wooyoung runs off the stage while the crowd is distracted and returns with a white poster and a bouquet of red roses in his hands.

with hongjoong holding a microphone close to his mouth, the black-haired boy drops to one knee.

"princess!" he calls out as he unravels the poster. "will you dance the night away with me as my date?"

as the curious person she is, eunbi eagerly scans the audience to narrow down her suspicions of the male's crush. the majority of the girls in the auditorium fan their red faces, assuming that they were the ones being asked out.

 _he's probably referring to someone else_ , the vocalist notes. _they is absolutely no way that he's asking-_

randomly, the loudness of the building vanishes when a loud click resonates in the building and all eyes notice a single light hovering over someone's seat. eunbi looks over to see hana gasping in shock at where the light is shining on. following the pink-haired girl's gaze, she trails along her body to see that her skin is glowing in the dark.

she lifts her stare to meet wooyoung's love-struck expression.

she is the 'princess' he was referring to.


	33. Chapter 33

**_"you make me so angry_ **   
**_and mad for no reason."_ **

**-boy in love**

"princess! will you dance the night away with me as my date?"

even though the blaring music fill his ears, san can still hear his best friend proposing in the microphone. he pinches himself to make sure he isn't dreaming, a bittersweet smile on his lips.

he should have expected this.

he knew that someday, one of his friends would fall for the girl who is sitting out in the distance. everything about her is absolutely lovable: her laugh, her smile, her small height, her sassy personality...

absolutely everything.

but he never thought wooyoung to be the one to catch feelings for her.

the black-haired male is known for flirting, having multiple flings at once, and holding relationships that lasted for only a few months. throughout their friendship, he has never taken people's feelings seriously.

 _"there is no such thing as genuine feelings,"_ wooyoung has told him. _"the only thing that exists between people is attraction."_

yet here he was, asking a girl out to be his dance date on one knee with all the love he has for her.

as expected, all but a single light turns on and shines on eunbi. everyone averts their gazes from the stage to the frozen female.

the way the light brightens her slightly pale skin, the way the light decorates her eyes with stars, the way the light makes his heart quicken its pace at the sight of her...

she looks like a beautiful angel who descended from the heavens above.

the music suddenly dies out and only silence resonates throughout the theater. awaiting the girl's answer, no one moves or makes a sound. the person beside her nudges her shoulder to prompt her to respond, earning a soft sigh.

he notices her lips curve into a small smile before she speaks.

"yes."

the crowd starts cheering as loud as they can while wooyoung stands up with a gasp leaving his mouth. the female next to her takes her phone and pushes her away from her seating, and so eunbi walks toward the stage to obtain the poster and bouquet of flowers.

with each step she takes, the weight of her foot crushes san's broken heart. the painful sensation travels through his body, making every part of him ache.

yet he still smiles.

 _you are used to this_ , he reminds himself. _this is nothing new._

he forces himself to clap his hands together like the rest of members as a sign of congratulating their friend. the female reaches the top of the small set of stairs and enters under the spotlight, causing wooyoung to rush over to her side.

the sweet smile on his best friend's face makes the red-black haired boy feel sick to his stomach.

the raven-haired boy lays the poster onto the floor before engulfing her into a big hug, swaying her side-to-side. eunbi simply follows along without any objection as he releases the embrace and gives her the gorgeous flowers and the poster.

a few minutes later, the announcer ushers everyone back into their seats so they could announce the winners of each department. san, not feeling well, tells hongjoong that he will be heading to the restroom and leaves the auditorium.

when he exits the building, his feet guide him to the dormitory that is not far from the theater, drifting further away from the bathroom. he takes his time to walk in the cold weather, the wind trailing along his skin. the moon hangs up high in the sky along with the bright stars.

he lifts his hands to the blanket of darkness above him.

if it was possible, he would steal all the stars from the night and put them into eunbi's eyes.

he would give her the whole world if he could.

a tear falls onto the floor.

he arrives at the dorm after a while and immediately heads to his room, flopping onto the soft material of his mattress. his hand reaches for his phone and his earphones on his desk and connects the two. he opens his music app to turn on some music before he settles his device beside him.

"i'm going under and this time i fear there's no one to save me," the artist sings to him. "this all or nothing really got a way of driving me crazy."

he closes his eyes, all focus now on the lyrics of this song.

"i need somebody to heal

somebody to know

somebody to have

somebody to hold."

tears begin slipping down his face.

"it's easy to say

but it's never the same

i guess i kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain."

the only thing he can feel is the sensation of his heart shattering into pieces.

"now the day bleeds

into nightfall

and you're not here

to get me through it all."

tears begin to slip from his eyes.

"i let my guard down

and then you pulled the rug

i was getting kinda used to being someone you loved."

he can no longer hear the piano playing or the artist singing in the background, the sound of himself sobbing into his pillow echoing throughout his room.

"someone you loved" by lewis capaldi.

a song about a breakup between two people.

people would say he is overreacting, that there is nothing to cry about if they were never a thing to begin with, that he should be happy for them.

but to see the person he loves be in someone else's arms...

it really does feel like the end of the world.


	34. Chapter 34

**_"i want to escape."_ **

**-lie**

"fuck!"

eunbi slams her face into her pillow and screams, kicking her bed numerous times.

"shut up eunbi!" jungkook yells from his room. "i'm trying to play overwatch with taehyung!"

she lifts her head from the soft material to glare at the wall that connects her room with her cousin's room. "i don't give a shit jungkook!"

falling into the cushion once again, she closes her eyes and recalls the events from last night: the series of performances, the conversations with hana, the sound of her voice resonating throughout the theater, the sight of her friends performing, the explosion of confetti...

the dance proposal.

"eunbi, you fuckin' bitch!"

she rubs her face deeper into the pillow.

out of all the girls of the school, wooyoung chose her to be his date to the dance.

and out of all the responses she could have used, she chose to say _yes._

 _why did you have to say yes?_ the brunette scolds. _you absolutely hate going to school dances._

an image of the black-haired boy's expression then appears into her mind.

the way his eyes drooped a little as the both of them made eye contact, the way his smile curved a little as he observed her figure, the way his ears and his cheeks grew redder as he awaited her answer...

curse her and her inability to say no.

she lifts her gaze from the white covers of her pillow to her bed's head-frame, hugging her shiba inu dog plushie that was beside her.

she still cannot believe that the girl he was talking about at the cafe was _her,_ someone who is pathetic and worthless; there is nothing good about her whatsoever.

plain and simple.

just plain and simple.

that is what she is.

yet what does he see in her that her insecure-self doesn't see?

bringing her stuffed animal closer to her, she lets out a sigh as an unsettling feeling expands within her.

most importantly, the fact that she is attending the dance with someone she _does not like romantically_ makes her feel sick. she is leading him on by accepting his proposal, raising his hopes that will soon be destroyed by her non-mutual feelings.

and that reminds her of someone in particular.

jeong yunho.

she definitely does not want to repeat history, especially if she ends up being like that jerk.

but wooyoung looked so happy when she accepted.

"what should i do, shibo?" she caresses the plushie's head. "i don't know what to do."

with her thoughts spiraling into denial, she flips herself where her back meets the comfortable mattress of her bed while she spreads her arms apart. she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, reminding herself that it is the weekend and she needs to rest.

her mind enters the abyss of darkness and a relaxed smile tugs on her lips, her ears muting all the noise around her. the sensation of her tensed muscle loosening up travels through her body and slowly, she drifts into slumber.

until her phone begins ringing.

"are you kidding me?!?" grabbing her pillow from underneath her head, she shoves it into her face and screams again.

after her little tantrum, she groans in dissatisfaction as she forcefully presses her eyelids together, her eyebrows scrunching together. who in the right mindset would call her on a saturday morning?

nonetheless, her arm reaches over to her desk, where her hands grab onto the rectangular device. she squints when she reads the caller's name and reluctantly presses the accept button.

"hello?" she presses her phone closer to her ear, hearing a child laughing and glassware breaking in the background.

"noona, help me!"

hearing the caller's voice, she rolls her eyes while dragging herself out of bed to head to the bathroom. "little apple, what did you do this time?"

the sound of multiple people yelling join the background noise as jongho continues to explain his situation. "mom and dad left to visit their parents and i wanted to prove to them that i can take care of kyong, so i convinced them that they can leave both of us alone while they were away. i invited the hyungs over to celebrate our win last night, but kyong is whining for some reason. i don't know what this brat wants, like i even tried giving him some apple juice but it's not working-"

eunbi stops brushing her teeth and simply blinks a few times at his rambling.

what does this boy see his younger brother as? a dog?

spitting out the toothpaste and rinsing her mouth, she pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs. "jongho-ah, you are really stu-"

"mingi-hyung, why are you holding him upside down?!?"

"what? i thought kids love this type of stuff."

"no! you gotta spin him around!"

"wooyoung-ah, he's not a toy!"

"why is he crying?!?"

"seonghwa-hyung, you're the mom of the group- do something!"

"hand him over, mingi!"

with all the shouting, she is visualizing the situation as she puts her messy, dark brown hair into a bun. she places her device onto the counter and puts it on speaker, so she can use her hands to pin the loose strands of her hair. the sound of their shouting echoes throughout the bathroom and her ears twitch at the loudness of their voices.

she is already losing her brain cells from listening to this chaos.

"yah little apple," she calls out. "i'll be there in fifteen minutes, so try to give him some of his favorite snacks. you should know where they are."

before he could respond to her, she ends the call and rushes out of the restroom. her hands reach for a random t-shirt and a pair of jeans, flinging her clothes all over the place. she bursts through her door and scurries down the stairs once she compiles her outfit together.

seokjin, who was in the kitchen cooking breakfast, lifts his gaze from the cutting board to see his relative running around the house. "eunbi-ah, what is wrong?"

"i have to go over to the choi household and babysit," she answers, rushing back upstairs to grab her jacket and her drawstring backpack.

when she arrives at the shoe shelf, she takes her worn-out sneakers and quickly puts them on so she can hurry to her friend's house, bidding goodbye to her cousin. she enters the cold environment and begins her journey as she clutches her jacket for more warmth.

but never once does the uncomfortable feeling leave her.


	35. Chapter 35

**_"mix the colors in the palette_ **   
**_and pick your filter."_ **

**-filter**

"k-kyong, take a step away from that. look! i have your favorite cooki- no no no no!"

the sound of glass crashing into the floor can be heard outside of the house, causing eunbi's eyes to widen in fear as she stands in front of the door. she immediately pushes the doorbell, its chime cut short when a distressed jongho opened the door.

"oh thank the gods," he mumbles before pulling her into the household. "noona, you need to do something about kyong! no one can keep him still and he just knocked one of my mom's favorite tea set off the shelf!"

"oh you're probably just overreacting," she reasons nonchalantly. "my little kyong would never-"

when she enters the house, she could not help but drop her jaw.

usually, the house is neat and tidy whenever she comes over to babysit kyong. there was never an object or decoration misplaced thanks to mrs. and mr. choi since they clean the place themselves.

but today, the house looked like a hurricane has just occurred. the floor is decorated with the child's toys and drawing utensils as a pile of broken glasses lies in the corner of the living room, which used to be mrs. choi's favorite tea set. the rest of the males are chasing the boy around the house, their arms out to grab him any second.

eunbi blinks multiple times at this horror sight, still having a hard time embracing reality, and rubs her eyes to make sure she is seeing things right. then, she snaps out of the trance when she sees a familiar toddler about to cross the ocean of shattered glass.

a gasps leaves her lips and she rushes over to him. "kyong, no!"

after maneuvering around his toys and colored pencils, she picks him up with one swoop just before he steps into the sharp shards. the child's eyes gleam with happiness when he recognizes the female and wraps his little arms around her neck. "eunbi-noona!"

"yes, noona is here." she pats his back while making her way towards his room. "you must be tired, right my little rascal?"

as if on cue, a cute yawn escapes his lips as he nods, blinking slowly and parting his lips. she smiles at his cuteness and ruffles his hair and faces the remaining boys in the household. "can you guys clean up the place while i tuck him in bed? it looks like he needs a nap after roughhousing with you all."

she enters the bedroom without receiving an answer from them and walks to the boy's bed, placing him onto the mattress. grabbing the edge of the blanket, she lifts it up into the air and drapes him with the fluffy fabric.

she wipes the sweat off her forehead after accomplishing the first phase of the mission and reaches over to the bookshelf for a story that will put him to sleep. once she found one of the child's favorite books, she grabs the spine of the book until a small tug stops her.

removing her hand from the bookshelf, the female returns to the boy's side and pulls a nearby chair for her to sit on. "what is it kyong-ah? you don't want noona to read you a story?"

he shakes his head. "i want noona to sing me a song."

she can feel her body tense up at the sudden request, her eyes looking over to the door of the room in an instant.

the guys still have no idea about her ability to sing, and after yesterday, she does not think they will appreciate the fact that she has been keeping this secret from them. she can not risk them knowing, especially because of the reason behind it.

her gaze comes back to kyong.

at the same, she does not want him to start another tantrum. he may be polite around her, but he will start acting like a monster if he does not get what he wants. she definitely does not want to be the one paying for the destroyed property of this house.

a sigh of defeat slips from her mouth, already knowing what has to be done, and clears her throat. she straightens her posture against the back of the chair and smiles at the little one.

"i'm assuming you want me to sing that one song," she says, earning a nod from the sleepy boy.

she takes a moment to recall the lyrics of the song before letting words fall out from her mouth.

"the sun is blue," she sings. "the stars are purple."

"flowers are dancing.

the songs are extra.

from somewhere,

someone is talking to me.

all night, hurry party all night long."

as her hand plays with the child's hair, she notices his eyelids drooping a little and she continues to bring the lyrics to life with her voice.

"oh will you follow me?

oh will you follow me?

oh till the sun comes up? right.

all night, hurry party all night long."

a soft snore can be heard from her seat, meaning that he has finally fallen to sleep. seeing his peaceful face makes her chuckle to herself as she stands up from her chair and quietly exits the room, softly closing the door when she enters the hallway.

when she hears a click, she backs away from the door and takes a step forward until she notices a figure leaning against the wall.

"jongho?"

he lifts his head up to face the female, a small grin pulling on his lips. "as usual, your singing is amazing."

"you don't need to flatter me." she playfully rolls her eyes. "let's head back to the boys."

passing by him, she spares no glance and focuses on the end of the hallway to greet the others until the younger male comments on something.

"congrats on your win last night."

she stops in her tracks, not knowing how to react.

last night, the masked singer won in the vocal department during the showcase, but she was still in casual clothes when it happened. so instead of her rushing back to the dressing room, her teacher collected her award for her with the excuse that the performer left early due to personal reasons. the crowd only saw her once and heard her once that night.

no one should have figured it out.

"how... did you know?" she asks without turning around.

"noona, i've heard you sing numerous times. i recognized your voice almost immediately after you began singing.

“oh.” 

silence fills in their conversation for a few

minutes until jongho speaks up again.

"why do you keep this a secret?"

taken back by the sudden inquiry, she turns around to see a sorrowful expression plastered on his face. this is the first time someone confronted her about this topic, this very sensitive topic. never has she ever thought of discussing the reason behind her class level placement and her mysterious performance, and she definitely does not want to talk about it at the moment.

she pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs, knowing that she can not hide it from him forever.

"the guys must be wondering why we're taking so long," she says, ignoring his question.

excusing herself from the uncomfortable situation, she walks off with the unwanted memories playing in her mind.

the bothersome feeling continues to grow within her.


	36. Chapter 36

**_"someone has to get out of here."_ **

**-seesaw**

"ah screw you, yunho!"

"it's not my fault that i'm good and you suck, mingi."

"wait, how do you punch?"

"hyung, you press this button and move the left joystick."

"ah, thank you hongjoong."

"san, i'm coming to get you~"

"wooyoung-ah, leave me alone for once please! i want to win!"

"guys, yeosang still has three stocks left!"

aggressive button pressing and shouting can be heard throughout the house when eunbi walks into the living room. her eyes land on the group of boys sitting on the couch, controllers all in their hands and the light of the television flashing before them.

she slaps her face with her hand and slowly drags it downward.

why are this guys so stupid?

"yah!"

someone pauses the game and everyone looks over to her.

"there is a child sleeping in this house!" she quietly scolds. "quiet down for goodness sakes!"

hongjoong, who is closest to the tv remote, reaches over for the object and lowers the volume a little. they all look at each other, nodding in unison, before resuming their match of super smash bros. a few minutes later, jongho comes out of the hallway and joins them in their gaming session.

not being in the mood for video games, the female drifts off to the kitchen in search for any ingredients for dinner and dessert. beginning with dinner, she lays out the necessities of the dish she will be cooking. she takes off her jacket, setting onto a chair, and ties an apron around her waist.

she begins with preparing the meat and vegetables, setting them off into different bowls and marinating them, as she separately blanches the spinach. after that, she boils the sweet potato starch noodles for a while before taking them out of the pot and cutting the strands into medium-sized pieces into a new bowl.

putting different sauces into the noodle bowl, she uses her chopsticks to help her evenly mix the flavor with the noodles. the scent of soy sauce and pepper enters her nose and she lets out a pleasant hum.

"eunbi-ah, what are you doing?"

she can feel a presence hovering over her petite figure as she places the noodles off to the side, so she turns around to see who it is after she washes her hands.

"i'm cooking dinner- woah!"

the girl instinctively backs up against the counter at how close wooyoung's face was from hers. also surprised by her reaction, he throws his hands up as if he is surrendering and takes a step back. putting her hand over her heart, she takes in a deep breath to calm herself down.

"please let me know ahead of time when you stand that close to me," the female huffs before returning her focus on the food.

he flashes her a cheeky grin at how cute she scrunches her nose a little in frustration. "sorry for scaring you, princess. you just looked so adorable in that little apron, i couldn't help but approach you."

 _why is he randomly complimenting me?_ she asks herself, suspicious of his actions, while looking down at her apron. _it's just a plain black apron, what is so special about me wearing this?_

a glimpse of last night then plays in her mind, making her realize the motive behind his words.

not wanting to awkwardly be standing near him, she manages to say something to him. "thanks... for the compliment."

and she zooms away from him almost immediately after her comment.

but like a little duckling, the black-haired boy happens to trail behind eunbi and watch her turn on the stove, a blue flame appearing. she grabs the pan that was on the counter and places it over the fire . pouring oil into the pan, she goes over to the refrigerator and takes out a few eggs with her hand.

that is when she realized that she forgot a step.

her eyes glance at seonghwa, who is currently playing uno with the remaining guys, before she looks at wooyoung. she really does not want to bother the older male since he's busy having fun, so she ends up asking the latter to help her.

"wooyoung-ah, can you-"

she notices how wooyoung is already at the stove, putting a bowl of mushrooms into the pan. he turns on the kitchen hood with his free hand, the other holding a wooden spoon, and stirs the chopped ingredients around.

_hm, never knew he could do that._

swiftly, she cracks the eggs against the counter and separates the egg whites and the yolk into two different bowls. after beating them with a spoon, she brings the two bowls to the counter beside the stove and sees her friend moving the vegetables around in a weird motion. her hand subconsciously reaches over to his and guides him along with the pan.

"you have to do it like this," she instructs, moving his hand so the wooden spoon scrapes the edges. "by doing this, you're recollecting the sauce that is stuck on the sides and frying them evenly."

hearing a small 'okay' from the male, she releases her grasp and drifts away from the stove to prepare dessert. she searches the kitchen for the ingredients to make the sweet delights and settles them before her.

as she creates the batter, she feels a small tap on the shoulder and peers over her shoulder to see wooyoung holding a large bowl of noodles piled with vegetables and meat.

"i finished frying," he says. "so what do i do now?"

she takes a look at the food in the bowl before she opens a drawer and pulls out a pair of tongs. "you can mix them together."

when she gives him the tongs, eunbi resumes mixing the batter together, her arms moving at the speed of light. some of the mixture splashes onto her face, but she ignores the gooey sensation on her face and remains her focus on the formation of cookie dough.

a finger brushes against her cheek once she finishes whisking, and she playfully glares at her companion. "yah, i'm not a baby."

the male puts the noodle dish aside and gently squishes her cheeks. "you're not a baby, you're my baby!"

"i'm no one's baby!" she pouts as she places her hands on her hips.

from afar, the remaining boys watch their interaction, smiling at how adorable the two of them are together. a soft sigh slips from their mouths before they nudge each other and whisper to one another. jongho, on the other hand, grabs a part of the couch to chuck it at wooyoung, but everyone convinced him to put it back down and resume their 5th round of uno. san simply rests his gaze on the pile of cards in the middle of their circle to distract him from the scene.

he should be the one cooking with her.

he should be the one teasing her.

he should be the one standing beside her.

he should be the one doing _everything_ with her.

although his eyes are still focused on the ground, he can hear their laughter bouncing off the walls of the house. a war cry breaks out between them and the sound of flour being thrown around echoes into his ears.

he can feel the tears fighting their way to the surface.

why isn't he there with her at this very moment?

because after reflecting on those late night conversations he had with his best friend, listening to him talk fondly about her and seeing the dreamily expression on his face on the screen of his phone...

he decided to give her up for him.

because he realized that he is a coward simply reaching for someone unattainable.


	37. Chapter 37

**_"lost in the maze,_ **   
**_in the darkness."_ **

**-love maze**

"noona, why are hyung's and your clothes dirty?"

kyong has recently woke up from his mid-afternoon nap after eunbi has finished preparing dinner and placed the batch of snickerdoodle cookies into the oven. wooyoung stands beside her just in case she burns herself from the touch of the metal.

the female approaches the sleepy boy and crouches to his height, a sweet smile pulling on her lips. "noona and hyung were cooking dinner for you. are you hungry? you must be hungry after that long nap."

he responds with a small nod, rubbing his eyes tiredly with a pout. everyone melts at his cuteness and mingi walks over to him to pinch his little red cheeks.

"oh my god, he doesn't hate me anymore!" the older male beams as he jumps with joy.

jongho rolls his eyes at his hyung's immature behavior. "it's probably because eunbi-noona is here; he's always quiet and polite like this whenever she's around."

"now then, noona will prepare dinner for you. go wash your face and hands, okay?" she ruffles the little boy's hair before the both of them depart to do their given tasks.

the girl grabs a pile of plates from the cabinet and settles them on the kitchen island. taking the tongs out of the noodle bowl, she proceeds to plate the food with the help of her friends since they too want to dine with the child tonight.

after setting out each plate, the boy comes out with a bright expression plastered on his face. he does a little dance when he smells the scent of japchae, one of his favorite foods. with the help of seonghwa, he manages to seat himself in his chair booster.

all the boys settle themselves into their chosen seats after setting the table and obtaining all the plates full of food. clapping their hands together, they thank eunbi for the food and begin enjoying her creation, a chorus of hums resonating in the dining room.

dinner starts off being noisy and loud as kyong's laughter can be heard throughout the house, brightening up the atmosphere. the older males do their best to make the little one smile through their stupid actions, and surprisingly are succeeding in this mission. san and mingi wrap noodles around their faces as hongjoong and wooyoung make funny faces. yeosang and seonghwa continue eating without disturbing the fun.

the child's loud voice then dies out after noticing a missing person. "where's eunbi-noona?"

before anyone could stand up and retrieve her, the female enters the room with a tray of snickerdoodle cookies in her hands.

the chaos comes to a stop and everyone looks at her seat, empty with an untouched dish in front of it. looking at their plates, they notice how they already finished their food before enjoying it with her.

"i got a fresh batch of these sweet delights!" she exclaims while laying the tray in the middle of the dining table. "kyong, go put your dirty dishes into the sink and wash your hands."

the little boy obediently gets off his seat and grabs his dirty plate, so he could put them into the sink as his babysitter has told him too. once he leaves the room, the group nervously glances at their female friend, feeling guilty for leaving her to eat dinner alone. eunbi sighs since she already expected this outcome and flashes them a smile.

"it's okay guys," she says, breaking the silence. "i didn't say anything about watching the cookies, so it's partially my fault for this."

"we should have waited for you though," seonghwa speaks up with a small frown. "we feel bad that you will be eating dinner while we eat dessert."

she sighs. "it's fine. what's done is done."

someone re-enters the area, walking as loudly as possible to get everyone's attention. "noona! i washed my hands!"

"ah. good job kyong!"

she looks over to her side to see the little boy jumping with excitement at the thought of devouring some of her delicious baked goodies. picking him up, she settles him into his seat and hands him a cookie.

by nudging her chin toward the sink, she manages to get the rest of the boys to put their dishes into the sink and wash their hands. she plops her bottom into her chair and grabs her chopsticks so she can enjoy her cooking.

but before she does, she takes a glimpse of the person before.

it seems like san has not finished his dish yet since his plate was still half-filled.

"san-ah, how are you not finished yet?" she asks.

he looks up from his food and makes eye contact with her, a forced smile making its way to his lips. "uh, i'm just a slow eater that's all."

he shoves a handful of noodles into his mouth, his jaw moving up and down. his eyes drift from hers and lands on one of the paintings mrs. choi has hung up in the room.

eunbi knows he is lying about being a slow eater because he always finishes his food before her during lunch. he is usually one of the first ones out of their friend group to have an empty plate and makes fun of everyone for being slow.

she smiles.

he must have waited for her without anyone knowing.

"thank you," she whispers under her breath, making sure it was audible for only the red-black haired male before taking in a few strands of noodles.

eventually, everyone has their stomachs filled with the girl's amazing cooking and cleans up the dining table. excluding eunbi and kyong, the rest of the boys play a rock-paper-scissors to decide on the person who would wash the dishes, resulting in yeosang.

the whole group meets up in the living and plays multiple games, filling the night with their chaos and loudness, until the child starts getting tired. shouting rings in their ears, cards fly in the air, and lips curve into grins.

a yawn escapes from the boy's mouth, meaning that it is time to get ready to leave the household. the female carries kyong to his bedroom, where she would be tucking him for the night, as the remaining males clean up the games that were lingering on the floor.

after tidying up the place, the time to bid goodbye has come. jongho, being the first, embraces eunbi, which surprises her since he is not a fan of showing affection.

"thank you for today," he says. "you saved my life."

she pats his back, signaling to let her go. "you're welcome, little apple. if he ever starts stirring up trouble again, just give me a call."

leaning in closer, her mouth hovers a few inches away from his ear so only he can hear her. "and about earlier, i'll tell you the next time i come over."

with a nod, they both back away from each other and begin to say goodbye to everyone else before exiting jongho's house. the guys head to yunho's car while eunbi walks to the black van, where her brother waits for her.

once she enters the vehicle, she is welcomed with a peck on her forehead by jimin and responds with pinching his squishy cheeks. the siblings then recline into their seats after greeting each other and begin their way home, turning up some of their relatives' music to entertain them.

bopping her head to "on," the girl rests her arm on the side of the door and looks out the window. the lights brighten the darkness of the city as the cars liven the boring streets, people's chattering filling up the silence.

her phone's screen lights up suddenly, so she picks it up to see the notification.

**10:45pm**

**woo-hoo:**  
goodnight princess, i hope  
you sleep well tonight :)

not wanting to be rude, she replies to wooyoung with a simple text before she settles her phone back into the cup holder. the bothersome feeling from this morning returns to her once again and a frown makes its way to the surface. she tries to divert her attention by singing to the music and talking to her brother, but it never leaves her alone.

**guilt.**

that is what she is feeling.


	38. Chapter 38

**_"just wanna go home."_ **

**-i'm so tired**

"hey eunbi, are you okay?"

the girl lifts up her head from the table to meet her friends' worried gaze, small frowns on their faces.

"i'm fine," she reassures them with a forced smile. "i'm just tired, that's all."

"but you haven't touched your lunch," mingi points out, concern laced in his tone. "everyone has finished theirs except you."

her eyes divert their attention to the pink lunch box before her, the food still perfectly intact in the container. her chopsticks are still in their little capsule with no specks of food on them. she looks around the table to see that her lunch is the only one out on the table.

"i guess i'm not hungry," she reasons.

her words say one thing, but her appearance says another thing.

dark eye bags hover underneath her eyes as her skin becomes paler every minute. she has been smiling less often and she appears skinnier than before. whenever the boys tease her, she does not rebuke back with the sassiness in her voice.

she hasn't been herself lately, and that is making them concerned.

wooyoung, who is sitting next to her, reaches over to her lunch and pulls out the chopsticks from their container. taking a piece of the fried shrimp, he brings it over to her mouth while holding the lunchbox underneath it so he does not spill.

"you should eat," he says, trying to convince her. "it's not good to skip meals."

she shakes her head and turns her face away from the food. "i told you, i'm not hungry."

he ushers her once more by bringing it closer to her. "come on, just one bite."

she can feel everyone's eyes on her at this point, making her tremble with anxiety.

for some reason, the black-haired male has been by her side ever since the night of the showcase. he walks her to class, escorts her to lunch, helps her carry her belongings, and tries to feed her numerous times during lunch. he continuously asks her if they want to hang out after school, just the two of them, and she always declines the offer.

she has been giving him signs constantly, but as the dense person he is, he never acknowledges them and continues to persist.

and she's finally had enough of this.

suddenly, a slamming sound echoes throughout the cafeteria, which attracts all the attention to their table. eunbi stands up from her seat with a fury written all over her, her hand still lingering on the table she has just hit. her breathing quickens its pace while her eyes blink with frustration.

realizing her doing, she softens her expression a little and collects all her belongings, including her lunchbox, and rushes out of the cafeteria.

whispers are now being thrown around as she passes by them, her ears picking up every comment.

"did she and wooyoung just have their first couple fight?"

"she's such a bitch for lashing out on him like that; he was just trying to feed her."

"first, yunho. now, wooyoung. who's next? yeosang?"

"i don't understand what he sees in her; she's nothing but a slut."

she can feel the tears slipping from her eyes with every step she takes away from all those people. her hands make their way to her face so they can wipe the sadness, but more keep escaping into the surface.

she's stressed out.

she's stressed out because everyone keeps placing expectations on her.

she never asked wooyoung to like her.

she never asked wooyoung to choose her as his dance date.

she never asked wooyoung to act like her boyfriend.

she never asked everyone to ship them together.

she never asked everyone to pressure her into liking him.

she never asked everyone to think that she is taking advantage of his feelings for her.

she never asked for any of this, and the guilt inside of her continues to eat her happiness away.

her feet take her to the familiar place of the school, where the bright colors of the flowers lighten the mood with their dancing. as always, there is the consoling feeling of the breeze embracing her as it places small kisses on her face.

this place makes her feel safe.

with no one around, she feels sheltered from all her problems. all the weight she carries at the moment are lifted by the wind and disperse into thin air, a smile tugging her lips. when she looks up to the sun, an image of a person appears in her mind.

san.

her sunshine.

she wants san be by her side at this moment.

with his best friend trying to get closer to her, he has been distancing himself from her for some reason. they barely talk to one another and initiate any hugs or conversations ever since the day at jongho's house. also, his name hasn't been appearing on her phone notifications lately.

she still believes they are close friends.

but her heart says otherwise.

 _maybe he will come and find me here_ , she hopes silently. _just like how i always find him here._

and so she waits.

she watches the flowers sway against each other, imitating their little dances, with a beaming smile on her face. a song plays in her mind and she bops her head to the beat.

a few minutes have passsed, and there is no sight of the male.

 _he will come_ , she convinces herself. _he will come._

she begins to predict the reaction he will have when he finds her here, imagining how the situation would play out. he would settle himself next to her and check if she's alright, asking her questions that will eventually break her exterior barrier. she would break down before him and be engulfed in his comfortable hugs she loves.

she is positive that he will come.

yet another ten minutes have passed, and he still hasn't appeared.

 _he's probably searching with the others,_ she tells herself once more. _if i'm patient enough, he will come._

but as time flies by, she can feel her heart crack within each minute until the school bell rings throughout the campus. reluctantly, she picks up her backpack and leaves the courtyard to head to class.

instead of attending class, she informs mrs. hwang that she is not feeling well and receives permission to spend the rest of the school day in the infirmary. when she enters the office, the nurse leads her to an empty bed and notifies her that they have to leave the place for a while.

being all alone in the room, eunbi lays on her back and places her hands on top of her heart. she grips her grey sweater in pain and the tears arise to the surface, suffocating her with sadness. all she can hear is her pitiful sobbing resonating in her ears.

she should have expected this to happen after learning her lesson once already.

she should have expected that boys only want her to attend their needs, and not vice versa.


	39. Chapter 39

**_"underneath it all I'm held_ **   
**_captive by the hole inside."_ **

**-little do you know**

"is van here?"

wooyoung stands before the cashier, asking one of the workers of the female's whereabouts. after the incident at lunch, he had an urge to come to the magic shop and talk it out with the person he trusts the most. he wants to know things from a girl's perspective, and van seems like the person who would have the best advice for him.

"i'm sorry, but van called in sick today."

hearing that makes the customer frown a little since he expected her to be here today, but if she's sick, he can't do anything about it. so instead of leaving the cafe, he orders himself a drink before finding himself a seat.

resting his elbow onto the table, the black-haired boy lays his chin on his hand and looks out the window, watching people pass by him. like the sidewalks of seoul, his mind is also buzzing with business.

he sighs.

ever since he had the courage to ask eunbi to the dance, his confidence to win her heart never left him. a desire to make her his girlfriend grows within, making him do all sorts of things a guy would do for their crush.

yet, for some reason, it infuriates her instead.

 _why is that?_ he asks himself, tapping his cheek with a finger. _why was she so mad?_

"what are you thinking about?"

wooyoung breaks from his thoughts when he hears the masculine voice, diverting his gaze from the window to the person who is seated before him. the worker with a yellow mask flashes him a curious smile as he passes the customer his drink.

"ah, hello chimmy." the younger male does a little bow with his head before taking a sip of his coffee.

chimmy simply bows back in response before asking once more. "so, what's on your mind? it seems like something is bothering you."

he takes a moment to decide whether to tell him or not, but he really needed to get this off his chest. taking a deep breath, he tells the worker the general idea of his thoughts without being too specific.

"so i have a friend who likes this girl," he begins while fiddling with his fingers. "and recently, he has asked the girl to be his date to the dance and she said yes. after that, he wanted to get really close to her and eventually become her boyfriend, so he does all these things for her but she got mad at him for doing so. he doesn't know what he is doing wrong."

the older male takes a few minutes to take in all the information, pondering about all the possibilities of the girl's reaction. his sister is really good at romance stuff like this, but she is not here unfortunately. the yellow-masked worker tries to imagine the situation in his head and an idea pops in his mind.

"maybe she's uncomfortable with what he's doing," chimmy suggests. "not all girls like guys rushing things, you know?"

wooyoung takes that into consideration, replaying all the moments he had with the girl recently, and notices how she always rejects his offer to help her in any way. he nods his head with understanding.

but then, he scrunches his eyebrows when he realizes a flaw in the assumption.

"if it was bothering her, she would have told him in the beginning." his eyes drift from chimmy and stare out the window. "she's a very straight-forward person."

"ah, okay."

the two males continue to talk among one another, coming up with different possibilities of the girl's reason behind her sudden action. each suggestion would be taken into consideration before being proven wrong by the black-haired customer.

"you know," chimmy speaks up again. "does she like anyone? at this moment?"

the younger male shakes his head. "not that i know of, she doesn't really tell my friends and i a lot of things about herself."

"so she's a secretive one. well, my hunch is that she likes someone and is not interested in your friend."

for some reason, his words remind wooyoung of van's advice during his previous cafe visit.

 _"what makes you think that she likes some other boy over you?"_ she told him. _"maybe she's just really good friends with them and hasn't developed any feelings for anyone yet. she never declared it herself, did she?"_

he is having doubts in her words at this point.

 _does she like someone right now?_ he asks himself. _if she does, who is it?_

 _is it..._ **_him_ ** _?_

the brunette before him notices a change in the customer's expression, assuming that he does have an intake of his friend's love interest. like his sister, chimmy reaches his hands out and holds onto the younger male's trembling ones.

"hey," he says in a whisper. "talk to me, buddy. tell me all your worries, so i can help you."

the reaction he receives displays hesitation, not knowing to trust him or not. his body language hints to him that he has been keeping this secret for a while now; he must not have the courage to tell his friend about it.

the black-haired boy nervously bites his bottom lip and avoids eye contact for some time as he debates whether he should speak up his worries or not. he has already burdened the worker with one thing, but to give him another weight to carry? he does not want to bother him anymore.

but the words eventually escape from his mouth.

"i saw her with some guy one day," he says. "it was after the girl returned from her one-week break after something dramatic happened to her at school. we wanted to go eat out at first, but she said she was busy. when her ride picked her up, my friends and i decided to grab something to eat and hit the gym."

he takes in a deep breath before continuing his story.

"after a few minutes in our workout, i saw her sneak into one of the practice rooms with someone, who was probably her brother. i thought i was delusional at first, but my instincts kept telling me it was her. at one point, a group of people left the room and none of them were her, so i walked over to the room without them noticing me. i looked into the window and..."

chimmy can see the boy's eyes become glassy.

"and she was in the arms of this guy. they were looking into each other's eyes as if they were the entire world. he kisses her on the forehead and it brings out the most loving smile i've ever since from her."

an unfamiliar feeling begins to build within him.

listening to this occurrence, the older male begins to remember the time his cousins and him brought his sister to the gym that one time because they had dance practice. everyone except hoseok and eunbi left the room to refill their water bottles, and being tired, he was lagging behind the group.

he recalls the feeling of dropping his water bottle behind him, so he turned around to pick it up and saw someone casually peering into the dance room. he thought they were just checking if it was available and dismissed it as nothing.

oddly, wooyoung's story fits in this memory.

"wooyoung-ssi," he calls out, earning the boy's attention. "has she ever told you and your friends who she lives with?"

"her brother and her cousins," he answers.

his suspicions start to rise as he continues to ask the black-haired male more questions about the girl. "do you know the gender of her cousins?"

he takes a moment to think about, not realizing that he has absolutely no clue about her cousins. "no, she never told us."

the yellow-masked worker blinks a few times, connecting the dots of each word he has received. his eyes drift to the customer's red shirt, recognizing the school logo located in the corner of his chest.

kq performing arts school- the school his sister attends.

then everything clicks.

eunbi's sudden call to the cafe, wooyoung's situation, his story of the gym...

everything makes sense now.

with a forced smile, chimmy gently squeezes the customer's hands as a sign of comfort.

"do you know if she hangs out with anyone in particular after school?" he questions, wanting to confirm his conclusion.

"no," the younger male replies. "she barely hangs out with my friends and i after school. every day, a black van comes and picks her up and they leave almost immediately."

_a black van._

all the information he has obtained is pointing at only one person as the girl who wooyoung is talking about.

"then, have you ever thought that the guy who was with that girl could be her cousin?"

that question causes the male before him tense up a little, acknowledging the fact that he was overreacting about the sighting at the gym. it would make no sense if eunbi was to hang out with some guy if she doesn't even have time for him and his friends.

a soft smile makes its way to his lips and the bothersome feeling from within disperses into thin air.

"no," wooyoung finally answers. "i think she was with her cousin at the time."

chimmy lets out a sigh of relief when he sees a change in the boy's expression.

"i think your friend needs to talk to that girl in private," he advises. "there is a misunderstanding between one another, and a nice talk would help resolve that."

liking that piece of advice, wooyoung nods his head with appreciation and checks his phone to see that he is late for dance practice with his companions. quickly, he grabs his belongings and his drink before bidding goodbye and thanking the worker.

after the customer's departure, chimmy rushes to the changing room and appears in his casual wear. the workers look at him with a perplexed expression, wondering where the male was going suddenly.

"yah! where do you think you're going?!?" seokjin comes out of the kitchen with a wooden spoon in his hand. "i'm going to smack you until you tell me!"

he zooms right past his cousin, earning more yelling from the lad, and exits the cafe through the back. hopping into one of the black vans, the brunette turns on the engine of the vehicle and begins his way to the first place that comes to mind.

entering the streets of seoul, jimin taps the wheel impatiently as he drives, his mind only focused on his little sister.

_eunbi, what are you hiding from me?_


	40. Chapter 40

**_"now i wish we would_ **   
**_smile more."_ **

**-inner child**

"jungwoo-ah, let's go play on the swings!"

"okay, aera!"

two children rush to the playground, joining the rest of the group of kids playing with one another. eunbi watches from afar on a bench with a sad smile, her mind tangled in her messy thoughts. laughter and shrieks of joy fill the emptiness of her ears as the smell of wood chips travels to her nose.

she recalls the nostalgic memories of the childhood she shared with yunho: playing tag, going down the slides, sitting on the swings, making flower crowns, doing cartwheels...

she wishes to be a child again.

to be young, wild, and free.

to live a life without worry and enjoy the little things.

to always be happy.

she remembers how as a child, she wished to grow older.

but now, she wants to turn back time.

she lets out a sigh and closes her eyes.

she is exhausted from struggling, from suffering, from _living_ in this world _._ she never thought moving from busan would make her go crazy, but she took the opportunity for granted.

she should have listened to her parents and stayed back at home, a place that shelters her from reality. she could be still friends with siyeon and yunho if she wasn't determined to achieve her dreams. she could be content with her life if she didn't choose yunho's school and meet his friends.

she could be smiling at this moment if she simply stayed in busan.

at the same time, however, her time in seoul has also brought her happiness.

she moved on from her one-sided love.

she got rid of the toxic people in her life.

she found people who support her love for singing.

she made friends with people who care about her.

she became closer to her brother and her cousins.

she started to love herself a bit more than before.

once she stepped out of her hometown, she put herself in jeopardy.

yet in her mind, she was willing to take the risk to reach the city of stars.

because she was a crazy fool who dreamed.

and she still is.

 _i shouldn't let the little things bother me_ , she motivates herself. _whether it's about boys or love, i shouldn't let it get the best of me._

she stands up from her seat and wanders into a secluded area of the park. the sound of leaves brushing against each other resonates in the silence as the scent of nature hovers in the air. her lips curving into a soft smile at the feeling of the wind running through her hair.

she came here for a reason: to become a singer and a better version of herself.

the brunette brings her backpack to her chest and opens the zipper, her hands scavenging into the bag to grab something. she pulls out a portable speaker and her phone, connecting the two devices together through bluetooth.

her fingers scroll along her phone screen until her eyes find the song she's been looking for. settling her things against a tree, she takes off her shoes and socks to feel the softness of the grass. she walks into the area with the beat of the music before standing still.

"thought I found a way," the artist sings. "thought I found a way, yeah."

her body starts to move on its own, like a ballerina alone on stage. her fluid movements bring the lyrics to life and the emotions within her arise to the surface.

"but you never go away

so I guess i gotta stay now."

her mind drifts from reality, only focusing on herself and the words of the song.

"oh, i hope some day i'll make it out of here

even if it takes all night or a hundred years

need a place to hide, but i can't find one near

wanna feel alive, outside i can fight my fear."

each beat of the music becomes more intense as it approaches the chorus, her moves going with the flow. when only chords play, she stands back up and her voice rings throughout the secluded area.

"isn't it lovely, all alone?

heart made of glass, my mind of stone

tear me to pieces, skin to bone

hello, welcome home."

as the song proceeds, tears slip through her eyes while the girl looks up to the sky, a smile still on her face. she watches the clouds pass by and the hues of the sky change colors as the sun sets.

"lovely" by billie eilish and khalid.

a song about accepting the negative feelings from within, because there is no escape from them.

 _embrace it_ , a voice in her head says. _embrace all the anxiety, the sadness, the stress, the pain you've been through._

and she does.

she can feel the sensation of her inner turmoil wash over her, tears continuing to flow down her face.

somehow, standing all alone in nature with her troublesome emotions is comfortable. she has no one to judge her or cause problems for her, something she hasn't experienced since she moved her.

just peace and quiet.

she lets out a satisfied sigh and spreads her arms out to take in the breeze's massive hug.

it does feel lovely to be all alone.

while she appreciates her solitude in the secluded area, someone suddenly barges into the scene.

"yah, park eunbi! you are in so much trouble missy!"

she scrunches her eyebrows together when she recognizes the masculine voice calling out to her. groaning with frustration, she opens her eyes and glares at the person stomping towards her.

"park jimin, why are you here?!?"

"park jimin, why are you here?" he repeats with a mocking tone. "bullshit! you know why i'm here!"

as she grabs her belongings, she rolls her eyes at him. "uh huh. yeah sure, i _totally_ know why you are here."

she walks off while he trails behind her, wagging his finger at her with frustration. "young lady, don't give me that attitude! i'm seven years older than you, so that means that i lived seven years longer than you and have eaten 7,455 more bowls of rice than you!"

"what does the number of rice bowls you've eaten have to do with this?!?"

"you need to respect me, god dammit!"

she scoffs loud enough so he can hear it. "okay, grandpa!"

"yah!"

hearing the male's steps become lighter, she begins to quicken her pace as she tightly holds onto her backpack for dear life. her heart beats in fear and acceleration, anticipation traveling through her body.

she definitely pissed him off.

yet with all this thrill, a smile makes its way to her lips once more.

she feels like a child again.


	41. Chapter 41

**_"i'll ruin you."_ **

**-** **monster**

"so you're telling me that some guy asked you to the dance and you said yes even though you don't like him and he keeps trying to act like your boyfriend ever since and it's annoying you because you don't see him that way so you lashed out at him yesterday?"

eunbi sighs and dramatically reclines into her seat. "yes. exactly that."

"well damn," jimin says as he turns the wheel. "you got yourself in a big mess, huh?"

"i was just trying to be nice!" she shouts in fury, waving her hands around. "like would you say no to someone who proposed in front of, i don't know, the _entire_ school?!?"

her older brother takes a minute to think about his response to that situation if he was in his sister's position, being surprised by his own decision. "when you think about it, saying no would just embarrass the poor dude."

"exactly! point proven!"

the male glances to the side, maneuvering the van into the drop-off section of the school. his eyes notices a familiar black-haired boy leaning against the school gate with his eyes searching for something in particular. a smirk tugs on his lips at the thought of eunbi's reaction once he speaks up about his sighting.

"well, talking about proving your point." he nudges his head towards the boy. "wooyoung is waiting for you right now."

hearing that causes his sister to ruffle her hair out of frustration, letting out a loud groan in the process. filled with dread, her hands make their way to her face and they slowly drag her skin downward.

"oppa," she whines with tears threatening to fall down. "can i skip school today? actually, can i skip the rest of the school year?"

he rolls his eyes at her pathetic acting. "sorry, but that kind of stuff doesn't work on me."

when they pull up to the curb, the girl slaps her brother's shoulder with all the hatred she could muster. "you piece of shit."

"you piece of shit," he taunts in a jeering manner. "shut up and get out of the motherfucking car, bitch."

she lifts up her hand to throw a fist at him, causing him to back up against the side door in fear, before she exits the vehicle with a victory grin. she turns around to bid him goodbye, but instead she is greeted with a middle finger. she gladly returns the gesture before she walks toward the school entrance.

when she sees her friend from afar, she looks at the floor and takes in a deep breath to calm her nerves down. she continues to approach wooyoung, making eye contact with him and waves her hand at him.

seeing him straighten his posture, she runs up to him with a forced smile.

"hey, can we talk?"

their eyes widen when they both asked the question at the same time, but they let a small chuckle after a few minutes of silence. he points in the direction of her classroom and she nods, so the both of them begin their way to her class.

at first, no one speaks up as they awkwardly walk beside each other in silence, catching everyone's attention. the pair can hear the whispers being thrown around the campus and they simply ignore their remarks.

not bearing the quietness between them, eunbi decides to start the conversation.

"sorry for lashing out at you yesterday," she apologizes. "i wasn't in a good mood yesterday and you happened to be the closest person to me when i decided to go off."

"it's okay," he replies, a soft smile pulling on his lips. "i also want to apologize for making you uncomfortable. i was doing things without your permission and never considered your feelings."

they lift their gazes from the ground and make eye contact with one another.

the girl shows him a reassuring smile and touches his shoulder. "it's my fault for never saying anything, so i don't blame you."

for once, the raven-haired male can feel relief travel through his body.

he sheepishly rubs the back of his neck and diverts his attention to the floor again, his cheeks painted with hues of pink. his heart loudly pounds against his rib cage and his mind replays the image of eunbi's smiling face.

"i guess you can say that it's hard to control yourself when you're next to the person you like," he bluntly says, causing the vocalist to choke on the air.

she grabs her water bottle and takes a huge gulp of the liquid as wooyoung pats her back. she bangs her fist against her chest until the uncomfortable feeling disappears and both of them wipe the cold sweat from their forehead.

"wooyoung-ah, about that..."

his gaze immediately makes its way to the brunette, who is avoiding eye contact now. her fingers fiddle with each other and she bites her bottom lip.

she doesn't want to tell him.

she doesn't want to hurt him.

but at the same time, he needs to know.

the longer she hides it, the longer his love for her will grow.

she takes a moment to prepare herself, closing her eyes for a while. when the confidence comes to her, she looks straight into his eyes.

"i'm sorry, but i can't return your feelings."

he takes in those words like a bullet in the heart, the pain slowly seeping into his system. the whole world seems to crumble under his feet and a foreign sensation builds in within him.

"just give it some more time," he says in a pleading tone. "maybe in a few weeks, you'll be head-over-heels for me."

she shakes her head. "believe me, i would think so too. but it has been a week since the showcase and nothing has changed."

feeling uncomfortable with her friend's sudden change in demeanor, she spots her classroom from a distance. she quickens her pace as an attempt to escape the tense situation wooyoung has created, but he manages to stop her by grabbing her backpack.

"i'm handsome, talented, funny... what is it that i don't have?" she hears from behind, his voice wavering a little when he asked her.

she tries to move forward, however, the black-haired male keeps a strong grip on her.

"you're fine as you are, wooyoung!" she slightly shouts, gaining everyone's attention to the pair. "i don't mind if we go to the dance together; it's just that i see you as a **_friend_**!"

in his eyes, everything stops moving as his hands loosen their grip and release the girl from his clutch. she takes a few steps away from him, holding onto the straps of her backpack, and turns around to meet his gaze.

"i-i'm sorry, wooyoung. i didn't want to lead you on any long-"

she stops talking when she sees him lift his hand in front of him.

"it's okay. it's my fault for not accepting the truth."

an awkward silence washed over them after the heated argument between, the both of them not saying a word to each other. people in the hallway look at one another before they begin chattering about the scene playing in front of them, their eyes staring and their fingers pointing.

"the playboy got rejected? that's a first."

"i can't believe he's begging a girl to stay with him."

"has wooyoung always been this pathetic?"

"what a baby; he can't take no for an answer."

eunbi glares at every person, which urges them to disperse from the hallway and into their designated class.

letting out a sigh, the brunette returns her gaze to her friend and flashes him a forced grin. "so, we'll talk about our plans for the dance with the others during lunch?"

he simply nods his head, not wanting to speak, and the girl pulls out a spare lunchbox from her backpack. "this is for you; i noticed how you haven't been eating lately so i made you something."

and the both of them disperse to their classroom.

as he walks to his class, he can feel the pent up feeling from before him grow in size. his hands ball into fists and his gaze hardens at the memory of their bickering that is playing in his mind. he tosses the lunch she has made for him into a nearby trashcan.

he cannot believe that she had the audacity to humiliate him in front of all those people.

he is someone all females love, someone all females wish to have.

yet all except one denies his charms.

_park eunbi._

to have his pride taken down that very moment...

calls for **vengeance**.

with a cunning smile, he begins to brew the plan that will strip the princess from her tiara and her throne once and for all.

and he knows the perfect person to help him.


	42. Chapter 42

**_"i wish somebody would_ **   
**_have told me."_ **

**-good old days**

"so we know what we are doing before the dance, right?"

everyone is leaning toward the center of the table, listening to each others' ideas on how they will prepare for the dance.

"dress up, pictures, and then food." mingi answers hongjoong's question, and everyone nods their head in agreement.

yunho claps his hands together, dispersing the huddle. "now that we finished planning, i'm going to enjoy lunch with siyeon."

"oi, yunho! wait for san and i!" wooyoung pulls his best friend up from his seat and the two of them follow the tall male to the table where yunho's girlfriend and her friends were eating at.

the remaining boys slump into their seats, a sigh leaving their lips, while the girl opens her lunch box. she feels her friends eyeing her, already knowing the reason behind, and reaches into her backpack to pull out another container.

when she settles her other set of food in the middle, everyone takes a piece from the box and enjoys the deliciousness of her cooking. yeosang smiles at the taste of the flavor exploding in his mouth, humming with content.

"we heard that you and wooyoung got into an argument," hongjoong brings up as he grabs a sausage from the lunch box.

recalling her morning, she pinches the bridge of her nose with annoyance. "yeah, it was bad."

seonghwa, who is sitting next to her, places a hand on her shoulder with a worried expression on his face. "did he hurt you? when he gets emotional, he tends to lash out."

she shakes her head, taking in a deep breath. "i'm fine, seonghwa-ssi. nothing physical happened between us."

as the conversation continues, yeosang glances to the table where his other friends are hanging out at. his gaze instinctively lock onto wooyoung and siyeon whispering to one another before exchanging phone numbers behind yunho's back.

for a second, a malicious glint appears in the eyes of his black-haired companion once he returns to san's side.

the blond male scrunches his eyebrows together, not liking the scene he witnessed, before returning his attention to his other friends. his ears pick up a few words from mingi's slightly loud statement, and his heart drops when he processes them.

"you rejected wooyoung?!?"

eunbi flinches a little at the volume of his voice, but confirms the truth behind the sentence with a nod. "i didn't want to lead him on, thinking that my feelings are mutual, so i told him. we're still going to the dance, but just as friends."

"i'm going to be honest here," hongjoong begins. "but it is a good thing that you told him."

hearing that causes the brunette to raise an eyebrow. "why is that?"

"you have to be kidding." mingi slaps his face and slowly drags it downward, dumbfounded at her clueless self. "you don't know anything about wooyoung?"

she shakes her head, blinking with confusion.

with the two of his friends eyeing him, seonghwa decides to lean closer to her ears and prepares himself to tell her what he knows about the male until she is yanked away from him.

"yeosang, what are you doing-"

before he could finish, the male leads eunbi away from the table and they exit the cafeteria within a flash. he drags her to an empty practice room and quickly shuts the door, his heart pounding against his chest. eunbi looks around the room, slightly panicking due to the quiet boy's sudden change in demeanor.

she grabs the sleeve of his red sweater, tugging it a little to grab his attention. "yeosang-ah, what's wrong-"

"you rejected wooyoung?!?"

she did not expect him to shout at her like that, especially since he does not talk much whenever she is around. but nonetheless, she answers him truthfully.

"for the last time, yes i did. is there a problem with that?"

with her confirmation, he worriedly brushes his hand through his hair, biting his bottom lip, as he paces around the area. he curses under his breath as memories play through his mind, and he looks directly at the girl.

images begin flashing before his eyes at the possibilities of the future outcomes of this girl's decision. his body shivers in fear at the thought of those scenes happening in their reality.

"yes, it's a _huge_ problem."

he sighs again while he builds the confidence to address the reason behind his answer. he walks over to the wall and starts banging his head against it.

taken back by the abrupt action, eunbi rushes to his side and pulls him away from the surface. she forces him to sit next to her on the piano bench and waits for the blonde to calm down.

"hey," she calls out as she runs circles on his back. "take deep breaths for me."

obliging to her request, he takes his time breathing in and out, which relaxes him a little. although his heart is still racing, he decides to tell her the truth.

the truth behind wooyoung.

"the reason why hongjoong said that it was a good thing you reject wooyoung because he is known for flirting, having multiple flings at once, and holding relationships that lasted for only a few months. he's doesn't take anyone's feelings into consideration."

the girl simply stays quiet as he explains everything, her face scrunching in a disgusted expression.

"however..."

he lets out a shaky breath.

"he takes _his_ feelings seriously."

she was hesitate at first, but her curiosity continues to urge her to ask him about her involvement in this.

"so what does this have to do with me?"

lifting his gaze from his shoes, he subconsciously grabs her hand out of the need of comfort. she returns the gesture, intertwining their fingers together, as he trembles within her grasp.

"wooyoung and i have known each other since junior high," the male begins. "we were really close to one another, like how he is with san now."

he tightens his grip on her hand.

"and during junior high, wooyoung was notorious for dating girls like how he is now; all the girls love him. but among the female population, he had his eye on only one person: jeon aerum."

eunbi notices the soft smile tugging on his lips when he mentions the name, recalling nostalgic memories he had before.

"she was a friend of ours during the time: the top student of our class and a member of the dance club. we met through dancing and have stuck together ever since. we were best friends..."

"until wooyoung confessed to her," eunbi finishes.

he sadly nods, his teeth gritting against each other. "one day, he had the courage to tell her. i brought her to the roof of the school, where wooyoung was waiting with roses in his hand. he told her about his feelings, but they were unfortunately declined by the girl herself."

anticipation begins to build within the brunette's body as he continues the story.

"as she left the roof, wooyoung literally broke down with those red roses withering in his grasp. i was there to comfort him, but it wasn't enough for him. he brushed me aside and left me alone on the roof."

"a few days have passed since the rejection, and i noticed how aerum began wearing leggings under her skirt. sometimes, she came in either bandages or a scarf around her neck. her eyes were always red and her grades were dropping. everywhere she goes, she was limping. eventually, she never came back to school because she moved schools."

a tear falls down his face.

"unlike aerum, wooyoung was happier than before. he was smiling once again and began dating other girls as if his feelings for aerum never existed. with that, the three of us began drifting from one another."

the both of them immerse into silence as eunbi takes in the whole story. with the information she received, she tries connecting the pieces together before giving up and sparing a small glance to the shivering blond male.

she has never seen yeosang so frightened.

but why is he though?

what happened that was so traumatic to him?

wooyoung was probably just moving on and the aerum girl was probably going through-

_bandages or scarf around her neck._

_wearing leggings under her skirt._

_red eyes._

_limping._

then, it clicks.

"oh my god." her eyes widen at the thought of her answer. "are you implying that-"

"i'm not sure," he replies quickly, not wanting to hear the finished statement. "but i think that is what happened."

hearing his confirmation, she suddenly stands up from the piano bench and rolls up her sleeves. her right eye starts twitching out of anger as her body temperature gradually increases.

"what the actual fuck?!?" she spats. "just because she didn't like him?!? this motherfucker-"

she is immediately yanked down into the seat when she took her first step, glaring at the person with anger. however, her emotions slowly die down once she meets the soft eyes of the male.

she sighs, the negative sensation escaping her lips. "so you're telling me all of this because i'm might will be going through what aerum experienced."

"yes. earlier, i saw wooyoung and siyeon together for a few seconds, so i'm pretty sure he has already started planning."

now she's the one trembling, wondering what will happen later on.

_will it be the same as aerum's or different?_

_will it be better or worse than before?_

_what will wooyoung be pulling off?_

she flinches when the grip on her hand tightens once more.

"i-i don't want to lose anymore friends," yeosang mumbles, fighting back the tears in his eyes. "i lost one already, and i-i'm not ready to lose another one."

her heart softens at the fragile state of her friend, bringing her free hand to wipe the stray tears that have escaped. she can tell that he cherishes his loved ones dearly despite his rude remarks and quiet personality.

"everything will be alright," eunbi promises as she ruffles his hair. "nothing is going to happen to me, yeo. i will be ready when the time comes-"

suddenly, the door opens and the pair avert their attention from one another to figure standing in front of the entrance of the room.

choi san.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was so painful to write :,)

**_"i will never look back."_ **

**-** **as if it's your last**

"i-i'm sorry for intruding!"

after apologizing, san flees from the scene without sparing a thought.

eunbi looks over to yeosang, who is so confused about what just happened. "yeo, can you take care of my belongings at the lunch table? i'll be right back."

"but we have ten minutes-"

before he could finish, the girl has already escaped his grasp and rushed behind the red-black haired male.

their footsteps echo throughout the hallway as she gradually catches up to him, extending her hand to grab him. not wanting to lose him, her eyes frantically lock onto his figure. she gradually closes in the gap between them with each step she takes.

her fingers wrap around his wrist and the both of them come to a stop, their breathing resonating in the emptiness of the building. the male refuses to make eye contact while his friend stares into his back.

"san," she huffs. "what is with you these days?"

she earns no response, as she expected.

"san," she says again, but with more authority. "why haven't you been texting or calling me?"

still no response.

she sighs, scrunching her eyebrows together out of anger. "sanshine-"

"don't call me that."

taken back by his retort, she releases her grip on him and takes a step away from. "why? you love it when i call you that."

there's a moment of silence before san speaks up once more.

"i don't want to associate myself with someone who hoes around with my friends."

an invisible arrow pierces into her heart, the pain spreading through her body. her eyes become glassy and her hands ball into fists as she continues the conversation.

"what do you mean by 'someone who hoes around with my friends'?"

letting out a frustrated huff, he turns his body around to face her petite figure. "you know what i mean. first, wooyoung. now, yeosang."

 _and me,_ he adds silently.

her jaw drops.

is that what he thinks of her now?

someone who is craving for attention from boys?

she bites her bottom lip to distract her from her emotional pain.

"you're pathetic, you know that?" san spats as he releases all his pent up anger. "leeching onto other boys because of yunho. _no one_ cares about your one-sided love, okay? i don't understand why i pitied back then."

hearing those words come from the person she trusted the most, she can feel thousands of knives stabbing her body. the gaze he held with her has no remorse or guilt either, making the pain intensify.

this sensation she is feeling is worse than finding out yunho's love for siyeon.

but then, she remembers something.

wooyoung has apologized for his actions towards her since he notices her uncomfortable body language whenever he was around her.

and there is nothing romantically happening between her and yeosang.

there is no reason for her to take in san's retorts personally when none of what he is saying is true.

"well then," she says calmly as she approaches the male. "is that what you really think of me?"

she pushes him harshly to the ground and hovers over him, tears threatening to escape. her eyes carry all the anger she has been containing ever since the day he never came for her.

"i'm sorry for 'hoeing around' because i grew up being close to boys my entire life."

a stray tear manages to stream down her cheek as she continues.

"i'm sorry for accepting wooyoung's proposal because i didn't want to embarrass him in front of the entire school.

i'm sorry for rejecting his feelings because i didn't want to lead him on.

i'm sorry for comforting yeosang because he was telling me about a traumatic experience.

i'm sorry for loving yunho because i can't control my feelings.

i'm sorry for making you pity me and my love life because i never asked.

i'm sorry for helping you back there because i was worried.

i'm sorry for always being there for you when you needed it the most because i care about you.

i'm sorry for everything i have done because i don't know what i'm doing wrong."

at this point, her emotions are dripping down her face as she attempts to regain her composure. she wipes the wet sensation with her sleeves and sniffles a little before leaning closer to san's face.

"you know," she whispers. "whenever you weren't at your best, i was always there to listen to you and cheer you up. but when it came to me, never once did i see you by my side."

"what do you mean-"

she scoffs. "don't give me that shit. you know what i'm talking about."

silence.

absolute silence.

he recalls the time in the cafeteria when eunbi slammed her fist against the table, anger fuming from her ears. she had no malicious intent to harm anyone, and when she realized what she was doing, she fled from the area.

he does not know why, but he could barely move a muscle with everything flashing before his eyes. everyone started chattering about the incident and his friends stood up to go search for the girl.

and all he did was remain in his seat.

 _it was for my own good_ , he reasons. _i was trying to move on, and it was another step towards that goal._

"i waited for you in the courtyard," he hears eunbi sob. "i waited and waited, expecting you to appear by my side... but you never came."

he could not help but feel the aching pain of his heart when he listens to her, guilt gnawing from within. the love for her begins to seep back into his system and his eyes start to become glassy.

"you know how much i needed someone to be there with me?" she chokes on her tears. "to be in an embrace, to have ears listen to me, to hear sweet words of reassurance all from someone i trusted?"

 _i'm sorry_ , he wishes to say. _i'm so sorry for saying those mean things to you. please forgive me._

yet he already knows the outcome of his plea, so he remains quiet.

curse his inability to control his jealousy.

for a second, eunbi notices a glint of regret appears in his eyes before it was overcame with apathy. she was hoping for him to apologize for his harsh words and mend the misunderstanding between them, but she earns no reaction whatsoever.

screw boys and their pride.

when the bell rings in the hallway, she reluctantly stands up from her crouching position and wipes her tear-stained face for one last time before she embarks her way to the cafeteria, where yeosang was holding her belongings.

every time she takes a step away from san, she silently hopes that he will suddenly run up to her and ask her for forgiveness. she silently hopes that he will grab her hand and force her to look into his sorrowful eyes. she silently hopes that they will make up with a simple 'sorry' and return to the good old days.

but as the coward he is, he does not move an inch from his spot.


	44. Chapter 44

**_"it's better to be held_ **   
**_than holding on."_ **

**-** **she's in the rain**

"you go talk to her."

"no, he should! he's the closest to her age!"

"but i'm not good at this type of stuff! he should go."

"wow, pulling me under the bus because i'm her brother."

"i think he should since he's lived longer than all of us."

"did you just call me old?!?"

"hey, everyone calm down-"

"yoongi! what are you doing?!?"

ignoring everyone's call to retreat, the male has already allowed himself into his cousin's room with a nonchalant expression. spotting the girl sulking under her blanket, he settles himself on the edge of the girl's bed.

eunbi does not question his presence, only focusing on the storm of emotions raging within her. her heart aches in pain as her tears drip from her eyes to the pillow, the warmth she once had leaving her body.

she feels a hand patting her head and she subconsciously smiles at the male's attempt to comfort her. when she turns herself around, she notices the worried expression her relative was wearing on his face.

"kiddo," he says in a soothing manner. "can you tell me what happened at school today? you've been like this since we got home and i want to know what's bothering you."

the smile she once wore curves into a frown.

everything flashes before her eyes, reminding her of the reasons behind her emotional break down: stress, worry, and denial. her arms wrap around yoongi's waist and she allows her tears to travel down her face again.

he simply holds her in his embrace, rubbing circles on her back, while he waits for her to feel comfortable enough to open to him.

he may be someone who appears to not care about anyone, but he has a soft spot for his family.

especially when it comes to eunbi, the little one.

"is there something wrong with me?" he hears her whimper. "did i do something horrible that made me deserve all of this?"

"there is nothing wrong with you," he reassures, running his fingers through her long, dark brown hair. "what makes you think that?"

not wanting to bear the pain that was gnawing her inside, she decides to tell the male everything that happened today: her argument with wooyoung, her conversation with yeosang, and her broken friendship with san.

san.

oh, how a simple name can intensify the sadness she carries within her weak state.

her cousin was never a fan of drama, especially when it comes from girls since all of it is a waste of time in his opinion. however, he could not help but feel his anger build every time she sniffles a little.

she has always been a strong girl who smiles all the time, not giving a care about the world she lives in. she perseveres through every obstacle she faces despite the difficulty of each one.

yet her exterior walls have tumbled to the ground once more.

the last time this has happened was when a guy told that she would never be a girl they would love.

_love._

he then realizes something that his relative has not, eyes widening at the thought of it.

"eunbi-ah."

he earns a small hum from the girl.

"who was the last boy you were talking about? you got into a lot of detail with your situation and also got emotional whenever you mention his name."

she flinches a little at the sudden question but answers him nonetheless.

"san. choi san."

he sighs, not wanting to bring up something that will weaken her any further.

she has to know, she deserves to know.

"are you in love with san?" he asks.

silence.

nothing but silence.

he can feel her arms untangle themselves from his waist as she sits up from her lying position. she hangs her feet off the bed and she stares at the wooden floor, shocked from the sudden inquiry.

his cute, little dimple smile.

his adorable, little cheeks.

his beautiful, brown eyes.

his contagious, squeaky laugh.

his warm, comforting hugs.

his alluring, eye-catching performance expressions.

his smooth, powerful dance movements.

her heart skips a beat when she thinks of these features, a small blush rising to the surface.

eunbi's hand has traveled up to her face, covering the sobs that are escaping her lips. her free arm holds her stomach as a way to comfort herself at the recent discovery.

"i do," she answers. "i do love him."

she chuckles in the silence, a bittersweet smile tugging on her lips.

"why didn't i notice earlier?" she questions herself, forgetting about the person beside her. "why didn't i treat him better? why didn't i hold him closer?"

the hand that was covering her mouth leaves her face and extends her arm to the empty space before her. her fingers curled together into a ball, she drops her limb next to her body while the male engulfs her into a hug.

"it's not your fault," he says. "it's his fault for letting you go first."

"yeah! he's dumb!"

the both of them look at the entrance of the girl's room, seeing all their relatives crowding around the door. they hold ice cream cups, spoons, and chairs with smiles on their faces as they slowly seep into the bedroom.

jimin sits next to his sister while everyone else drags their portable seats and settle themselves in front of their crying cousin.

"how could someone hurt our little baby like this?" hoseok speaks up, an angry pout on his face. "i want to punch him."

"yeah," jungkook agrees. "let's all meet up at the entrance of the school and beat him up."

namjoon, who is the rational thinker, ironically nods his head at the plan. "i like the sound of that."

"if he's handsome, then i'm in." seokjin smirks. "i can't let anyone be more handsome than me."

taehyung raises his hand eagerly, wanting to contribute to this conversation. "oo! can i be the one who drags him on the floor while he's screaming in pain?"

jimin cracks his knuckles, liking the idea already. "man, i'm so excited for this-"

all but one person cackles at their silly plan, falling back onto their back as they hold their stomach in pain. everyone turns to eunbi, who is dying from laughter.

"you guys are so dumb!" she exclaims, laughing once more. "you really think that's going to work?!?"

all the males in the room softly smile at the sight of their cheerful girl being herself again, although yoongi had to lift her up before she chokes on her happy tears. hoseok hands her an ice cream cup of her favorite flavor, cookies and cream, and a spoon before he continues to distribute the remaining ones to the rest of the relatives.

together, everyone shares their laughs and embarrassing love stories with one another, lightening up the dull atmosphere. their smiles brighten everyone's day as the girl's sadness slowly drifts away from her. their loudness eventually met with a noise complaint from the neighbors, but it did not stop them from having fun.

when they all called it a day, everyone grabs their spare japanese futon from their closets and all meet up in the living room, where they will be sleeping for tonight. eunbi lays hers in the middle of her family and snuggles into her blanket, hugging her shiba dog plushie, shibo. she can feel the warmth from her family and her lips curve into a grin once more.

she's so lucky to have these people in her life.


	45. Chapter 45

**_"i want to change my mind."_ **

**-** **happier**

"you want to change your performance song?"

eunbi answers with a confident nod. "yes, i really want to sing this one."

ms. hwang gives her a confused expression, taken back at the sudden request. "but we've already changed one of your songs in your performance set, why do you suddenly want to change another one?"

"because it feels right. this one settles with me."

"i want to hear you sing it first then," the woman sighs, not wanting to argue anymore. "if i like it better than our original choice, then we'll change it."

pleased with the opportunity, the girl skitters to the piano, an instrument that once was foreign to her, and settles herself on the bench. her hands hover about the keys and her fingers press some of the notes as her feet adjust to the pedals from below.

feeling comfortable with the musical tool before her, she presses the damper pedal and begins to press a few keys, the notes resonating in the empty classroom. her left hand plays a series of chords while the right hand creates the leading the melody of the song.

after her little introduction, only chords follow while she takes in a deep breath and sings to her heart's content.

from afar, her teacher can feel the emotions flooding into the room as she immerses herself into the music. she closes her eyes and immediately an image flashes before her eyes due to the depth of the lyrics.

a girl sitting by herself in the garden of beautiful flowers, wearing a mask to hide her insecurities. her lips are curved into a bittersweet smile when a boy appears, his back facing her.

her arm leaves her side and reaches out to him, but he simply walks away from her.

she is so lonely.

a tear slips down her face.

the fact that the instructor can visualize this picture displays her student's ability to portray the message of the song with her beautiful voice.

it is as if she's telling her a story.

concluding the song, eunbi presses the last key and allows it to linger in the silence as her heart aches in pain like before. the lovely sound fills the scars of her shattered heart with gold, rebuilding her little by little.

music has always been an important piece of her life. every time she sings, it makes her excited to express herself through these songs. it gives her confidence, courage, pride, happiness, peace of mind...

things that life can't give her.

she recalls the late night when her relatives brought her to their studio room, her eyes gleamed at the sight of the recording room. she sat next to yoongi, who was in charge of running the recording, as taehyung entered the other side of the room with a piece of paper in his hand.

the younger male grabbed the headphones that are dangling on the music stand and placed them on his head. positioning himself in front of the microphone, he waited for his cousin's command before singing.

this process repeated itself as seokjin, jungkook, and jimin contribute their voices to the production of the song. sighs of content escaped their mouths at the sound of perfection when yoongi gives each one a thumbs-up.

the song they were singing had an impact on her.

with the desire to learn the song, she begged yoongi for days to teach her how to play the piano, which eventually worked, and had jungkook help her with her vocals.

and now here she is, presenting it to her teacher.

the student nervously awaits for her teacher to comment on her performance, fiddling with her fingers. she avoids making eye contact with the woman, so she does not meet the angry expression on her face.

but instead, she hears sniffling from her seat and she averts her gaze from the piano, seeing her teacher wiping her tears with her handkerchief.

"that was beautiful," she says as she blinks the tears from her eyes. "absolutely beautiful."

eunbi sadly smiles at the female's comment since she does not want to go into detail about her personal connection with the song, although she is glad that she enjoyed her performance.

eventually, the two of them resolve the small argument in the beginning by obliging to the student's request. they work on improving the performance, ms. hwang advising her with different techniques and exercises.

after the practice session has ended, eunbi bids her teacher goodbye and thanks her for helping her before she exits the room. her hand makes its way to the door and opens it, allowing her to step out of her classroom. once she turns her head to the side to observe the hallway, she notices a familiar figure leaning against the locker, their eyes focused on their phone.

"yeosang, what are you doing here?" she asks as she tilts her head to the side. "shouldn't you be at practice right now?"

he diverts his attention from his game and looks over to his friend with a small smile.

"i remember you saying that you were staying after school for an hour to work on your singing today, so i decided to wait for you."

she playfully slaps his shoulder while rolling her eyes. "yeah right, you're still worrying about me."

hearing that makes the blonde frown a little, slightly sensitive to the topic. "you can't blame me though, wooyoung still hasn't made a move and it's becoming suspicious."

"you know, hasn't it been a while since you left practice?"

"they think that i'm going to the restroom, so i can tell them that i had to take a shit."

with that, the girl chokes on her salvia and laughs at her friend's blunt response before the both of them head to the school entrance. as they carry the conversation along, they make small gestures with their hands to exaggerate their comments.

suddenly hearing a loud honk, the pair flinches in surprise and notices a familiar black van waiting for the girl's arrival. eunbi rushes over to the vehicle and turns around to wave her companion goodbye with a big grin on her face.

she pulls the door handle and enters the van, seeing namjoon smiling at her. he welcomes her by patting the passenger seat and she gladly takes the spot. after hearing the sound of the seatbelt clicking, the male maneuvers the car away from the school and turns on the radio.

on the way to the cafe, the female decides to check her phone for any notifications. her screen lights up and she opens the messager app, causing her to almost drop her phone onto her lap when she reads the recent message she received.

**4:47 pm**

**yeodanced:**  
never thought you were   
good at singing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just dropping by to say i love you guys <3


	46. Chapter 46

**_"you're stuck in my head_ **   
**_and i can't get you out of it."_ **

**-back to you**

"for the love of god yeo, stop killing me!"

"sorry eun, but victory comes first."

"you piece of shit."

"yah, we're on the same team now so let's go find the last survivor."

"i'll let you off this time, but when i get infected you're my first victim."

the two friends frantically press on their phones as everyone else at the table watches their interaction, their scrunched faces and sighs of frustration amusing them. they may not know, but their small bickering brings entertainment to the boring lunch table.

eunbi is the first one to chuck her phone onto the table, fury written all over her face, as she smacks yeosang on the shoulder. the male lets out a small yelp of pain before glaring at his friend.

"why did you do that?!?" he slightly shouts while rubbing his shoulder. "that hurt, you know?!?"

eunbi rolls her eyes at how pathetic he looked. "i told you to go get the last survivor from the front while i sneak up from behind and yeet the shit out of them!"

"he had a sentry gun for goodness sakes! how am i supposed to get through that?!?"

"with your throwing ax!"

they turn their backs from each other and angrily pout in the opposite direction after the small argument.

mingi, who was across from them, raises an eyebrow at their peculiar interaction. "why do you guys keep yelling at each other? it's just a game."

hearing the question causes them to turn their heads toward the confused boy.

"because he/she messed up!"

simultaneously, they look at each other with the same furious stare.

"it's all because you suck at playing c.o.d!" yeosang scolds as he wags the finger at her.

the girl scoffs with disbelief. "excuse me?!? i wasn't the one who died first during the attack of the undead; i lasted longer than you!"

averting their attention from the redhead, they scowl at one another before facing away once again.

eunbi distracts herself from the angry blonde by observing the commotion of the canteen, listening to the students' chattering and laughter. people are gossiping about rumors, complaining about their teachers, or simply talking about their day to pass the time while they enjoy their lunch.

subconsciously, her eyes turn to the loudest table of the cafeteria.

as always, wooyoung has his arms around the girls beside him as he holds a conversation with his table. his foolish grin appears very frequently when he opens his mouth, probably telling the group about something funny that happened today.

siyeon and yunho are not that far from him, but they pay no attention to their friends and only focus on themselves. the light brunette carefully wipes the rice on his girlfriend's mouth, earning a small blush on the girl's cheeks. they flash each other sweet smiles before resting their heads on one another.

close to the black-haired male, san is talking to a girl from across from him. the female points at his head and shows him a thumbs-up, approving his new hairstyle. a small smile tugs on his lips and he thanks her for the compliment.

now that she noticed, eunbi takes a few seconds to appreciate his newly dyed hair: black with a patch of green lingering on the side. it makes him look more handsome than before, making her heart ache a little.

her lips curve into a bittersweet smile.

 _it's okay_ , she consoles herself. _you've been through this in the past. this is nothing._

is it though?

this is different from before, where the boy she loved had his eyes on someone else.

she doesn't know if he is in love with someone.

so should she pretend nothing happened that day and act as if they were friends again?

should she be the first to recoil their friendship?

should she take the chance?

or should she let things flow on its own, letting her suffer alone?

should she?

ignoring the uncomfortable sensation, she feels a small tap on her shoulder and she turns around to see a worried expression on yeosang's face.

"you okay?" he asks, noticing how quiet she has been after their small bickering.

she answers with a small nod and brings her empty gaze to the table. placing her hands in front of her, she lets out a big sigh and closes her eyes to relax herself a little. she mutes everyone around and listens to her breathing as she inhales and exhales.

she's sick and tired of everything.

her ears twitch a little when she hears someone stand up from their seat and leave the table for a while, but she resumes resting herself until she feels something cold being pressed onto her cheek. once she opens her eyes, she recognizes a familiar packaged drink in her peripheral vision.

looking up from the table, she sees the blond male nonchalantly sipping on the same exact beverage. he makes eye contact with her and raises an eyebrow as he takes out the straw from his mouth.

"are you not going to drink it or what?"

the brunette playfully rolls her eyes at the sound of his sassiness before she grabs the drink into her hand. plucking a hole into the carton, she attaches her lips onto the straw and hums with content when she tastes the flavored beverage.

strawberry milk- her favorite.

as the awkward pair of friends they are, no one speaks and enjoy their drinks in silence. hongjoong, seonghwa, and mingi are laughing over some meme they came across on their social media, forgetting that the two were sitting right in front of them since they were so quiet.

nonetheless, the female grabs her phone that she threw across her seat and opens up the gaming app she was playing earlier. she catches yeosang's attention by pointing at the screen with a suggestive look.

"so, another round of c.o.d.?"

the male sitting next to her simply nods and grabs his phone from his pocket, opening the same app, before they immerse themselves into the intense game; they act as if nothing had happened earlier.

their fairly loud shouting brings some people's attention while they furiously press on the screen of their devices, their voices guiding one another to victory. once in a while, eunbi would tilt her head to the side and directly tell her friend something while yeosang nods with understanding. the girl then dramatically drops her phone when she sees victory written on her and her friend's screen, gasping in shock at the sight. turning over to the male, they both fist bump one another with excitement.

"oh yeah!" the blond male raises a finger when he remembers something. "i'm having trouble singing some parts of the song for the performance tomorrow, so i was wondering if-"

the female immediately shushes him by covering his mouth, so he could not speak any further. she gives him 'the look' and he widens his eyes, understanding the reason behind her actions. removing her hands from his face, yeosang takes in a deep breath after being suffocated for a few seconds.

"i am free tonight," she whispers so no one except her friend can hear her. "just call me and i'll help you with the song."

"and more rounds of c.o.d," the male adds.

with scheming smiles on their faces, they do a little handshake before giggling with one another.

none of them notice the frowns they made through their interaction.


	47. Chapter 47

**_"there's a reason why_ **   
**_they watch all night long."_ **

**-** **finesse**

"yah, yeosang!"

the blond male takes out his earphones and looks up from his phone to see wooyoung waving his hand at him.

"we're going to take pictures with the girls here!" his friend exclaims, pointing around the group of people posing in one area. "come and join us!"

rolling his eyes, yeosang lets out a small scoff and shakes his head before resuming his game; he could not care less about a bunch of girls squealing about him and his friends. plugging his earphones back in, the sound of guns firing welcomes him as a female voice speaks up.

"chickenlover46, there's a sniper in the building to our right."

aiming his weapon, his avatar manages to pull the trigger and eliminate the threat. the loud bang and watching the final kill cam brings a smile to his face as the victory screen appears on his device.

"target destroyed, bibi-gun."

a devious giggle echoes through his hearing device, although the noise sounds a lot closer than he assumed. he tries to lower the volume, but he could still hear it at the same level.

the scent of vanilla lingers around him.

wait.

taking off his earphones, his eyes meet with a familiar pair of dark brown eyes staring back at him. the sudden sight surprises him, causing him to flinch in his seat. when he recognizes the person, he places a hand over his frightened heart as a sigh escapes his lips.

"eun, you scared the shit out of me."

with a proud smile, the girl pats herself on the shoulder. "that is what i was going for."

his eyes leave her face for a second to examine her attire, in awe of how well it compliments her figure. "i like the fit."

she notices where he is looking at and follows his gaze, embarrassment written on her face. "you think so?"

"hell yeah, bitch." he claps his hands together with a prideful grin. "now give me a little twirl. chop chop!"

obliging to his little request, eunbi spins in circles as her knee-length, spaghetti strap dress flows along the gentle breeze. the vividness of the red color brings out her slightly pale skin and her curled hair sculptures her face perfectly, the small makeup details making her look beautiful in the evening.

with his phone in his hand, the male takes a picture of the sight before ushering her towards him. she skitters to him and peers over his shoulder, her mouth agape a little when she sees the photo. turning her head a little, she calls out to someone.

"hana-ah, don't be shy and come over here!"

a girl in a white lace dress, who was hesitant at first, appears from behind a tree. conscious about her look, she pulls down the hem of her clothing while walking to the pair.

yeosang can feel butterflies swarming in his stomach.

_she is absolutely beautiful._

the way the ends of her laced dress brushes her knees, the way the color of her pink hair gleams under the sunlight, the way the hint of makeup brings out her inner beauty, the way the sight of her makes his heart race...

from the moment he saw her, he knew he was fucked. 

the brunette adverts her eyes to the side and notices the pinkish hues on his cheeks, a smirk creeping onto her lips. she nudges him to snap out of his trance and chuckles quietly.

"you are so obvious," she teases. "love at first sight huh?"

he opens his mouth to respond, but all he could do was stammer over his words. seeing the girl getting closer and closer, he immediately shuts up when she stands in front of him.

eunbi mentally slaps herself on the face since they were being awkward before she introduces her two friends to each other. "hana, this is yeosang. yeosang, this is hana. say hello!"

the blond male sheepishly rubs the back of his neck as the pink-headed female continues to look at the ground as they mumble a small greeting to one another. not content with this interaction, the brunette slaps their backs, causing them to stand straight up.

"i raised no pussies," she states with a firm tone. "say hello properly for once, it's not that hard."

her two friends sigh before redoing the process once more, but this time with a louder voice and a slight bow when they finish.

after taking a few seconds to mentally cry over their blooming relationship, she asks the male to take pictures of hana and her since the others have not finished their group pictures. he agrees to the offer and lifts up his phone once more, capturing the moments between the two girls. the pair twirl around in their dresses, laugh at how stupid the other females looked in the other group, and pose as if this is a model shooting for a magazine.

once in a while, one person would replace the photographer so everyone would be paired with one another, meaning that yeosang and hana would eventually take pictures with each other. a devious plan indeed, but eunbi knows that they need a little push before they could get comfortable.

in her peripheral vision, she notices a familiar black-haired male running up to her and tackles her into a hug. she sighs, knowing who it is already, and pats his head with a small smile.

"hello wooyoung," she greets. "you look nice in the red suit."

her comment causes him to smirk as he lifts his head to meet her gaze. "same to you with your red dress. we will be the power couple for tonight."

hearing a certain word makes her want to vomit, but she tightly holds her mouth together and keeps her composure. "you must be done taking group pictures, i assume? let's go take our pictures."

with that, the two of them wander to a secluded area while everyone else watches from afar. the boys whistle at them and cheer them on as the girls sneer at the sight, and eunbi did not care about them.

all except one person. 

eunbi subconsciously glances at a specific person during the breaks the photographer has given them, seeing him talking to one of the girls in the group. their conversations make them grin and the female leans her head on his shoulder. 

he does not push her away and gently rests his head on hers.

choi san.

she recalls the day before that he had asked a girl to be his date to the dance, and that broke her heart. she skipped work that day and locked herself in her room, embracing those negative emotions once more. simply sitting in silence, she stared at the ground and poured all her feelings into a song that she will be singing tonight.

a painful sigh escapes her lips.

_it's just for one night._


	48. Chapter 48

**_"let's set this party off right."_ **

**-** **24k magic**

"well you look as beautiful as ever, ms. park!"

eunbi flashes her vocal instructor a smile when she enters her dressing room.

"thank you," she shyly says, a small blush forming on her cheeks.

knowing the drill, the student grabs the outfit that mrs. hwang is holding before changing her attire. she quickly puts on the black wide-leg pants and pulls on the same-colored blazer, covering the white, cropped tank top she is wearing. she tosses her wedges to the side where her red dress is located and slips on a pair of white nikes before sitting in front of the mirror.

her teacher slightly adjusts the makeup on the girl's face and hands her the same white mask she wore the night of the showcase. she attaches the accessory to her face and rushes out of the room with a quick goodbye.

heading to the rehearsal stage, she accidentally bumps into someone on the way there. the two of them fall backward as their hands flail in the air. groans of pain echo throughout the hallway and pain blooms in their bottoms.

"ah sorry," eunbi apologizes while she stands up and dusts her clothes with her hands. "i wasn't watching where i was going."

she approaches the person with her hand out to help them and immediately regrets it when she recognizes them.

"it's okay, it is also my fault for not looking."

san takes her hand and lifts himself up with her assistance. she awkwardly waits for him to finish checking his outfit before he suggests the both of them to walk to the stage. side by side, he escorts her to their destination without initiating any conversation.

on the way there, they pass by the line that leads into the multipurpose room and are stopped by a familiar girl running up to them with a sweet smile plastered on her face.

san's date.

"hey san!" she exclaims. "you on your way to rehearse the opening performance?"

"yeah!" a small smile pulls his lips.

her eyes then land on eunbi, who simply stands off to the side to not disturb them. "are you the masked singer?"

 _i don't know, am i?_ the vocalist asks herself, mentally rolling her eyes. _i'm clearly the only one wearing a mask and i don't think someone would wear an outfit like mine to a semi-formal dance._

nonetheless, she answers with a nod.

the girl takes another step to her and leans in close to her ear. "if you ever touch him, i will find out who you are and expose you to the whole school. he is mine."

_achievement unlocked: met another crazy, obsessed girl!_

when will this end?

with an innocent grin, she nods once more and takes a few steps. looking back, she ushers the black-haired male with her hand before any more time could be wasted. he obliges and they resume their journey to the stage, where everyone else was waiting.

when they enter the building, they see the remaining members of kq fellaz rehearsing the dance as the music blasts throughout the silence. all the boys notice their appearance and run over to them with slightly annoyed expressions on their faces.

"san, you are late!" hongjoong scolds. "it doesn't take ten minutes to go to the bathroom and come back. we don't have much time left until the event starts!"

being the polite person he is, he apologizes to his team leader before they climb the platform positioned in the front of the dance floor. jongho and yeosang fall behind the group and walk beside the female.

"so yeosang knows too?" the youngest male asks, noticing his presence. "i thought i was the only one."

"he was eavesdropping on one of my vocal lessons with my teacher," eunbi explains, shrugging in the process. "but what's done is done. the whole school will eventually find out about my identity, so it's whatever."

"it was a good thing i found out," the blond male adds. "because she was able to help me with my vocals for this performance. i am forever grateful, really."

the three of them hear someone shouting at them to hurry up, causing the trio to run onto the stage. the female performer stands off to the side since her appearance will happen later throughout the event and the music cues in.

the sound of low brass and drums starts off the rehearsal as hongjoong slowly moves up to the stage, his blue blazer swaying along his movements. aggressively, he lifts up his microphone to his mouth and raps his lines with passion.

"all eyes on me now

if you still doubt mine

it's too pointless

we're still young and wild

we gonna find new world to be mine.

the island is where the map calls

a dream and a fear of all people

at the end, i start dreaming, spread my wings

forever immature like peter."

once he finishes his part, all the members join the short, blond male to the front while the background vocals continuously repeat a phrase. in a little bit, yunho sings a small part of the song before immersing into the dance.

as always, the masked singer watches with amazement at the group's synchronization and their sharp execution of dance moves. her eyes pay close attention at the little details as she nods her head to the beat.

she never thought hongjoong and mingi were good at producing songs.

after ending the first section of the performance, another song comes through the speakers and the members position themselves for another dance. compared to the first piece, this tune is more bouncy and lighthearted as they continue dancing.

once wooyoung appears in the center of the group, he begins singing to his heart's content.

"i'm curious about everything how's your day

oh tell me (oh yeah oh yeah, ah yeh ah yeh)

what makes you happy

oh text me (oh yeah oh yeah, ah yeh ah yeh)."

"your every picture," yeosang then sings. "i wanna put it on my bedside oh bae."

after yeosang, yunho comes in and steals the spotlight.

"come be my teacher

teach me everything

your one, your two."

seonghwa slides in the middle of the group, microphone by his mouth.

"listen my my baby i

i'm flying high in the sky."

"with the two wings you gave me then," hongjoong adds on the side.

eunbi still can't get a grasp on the fact all her friends are talented; they perform this song as good as her relatives.

"boy with luv" by bts.

she got permission from them to use this song as their opening act, and she does not regret it.

hearing jongho's part come to life, she prepares herself to join the group, excitement running through her veins.

"it's too high now

i want to fit you in my eyes

yeah you makin' me a boy with love."

she runs onto the stage and proudly stands on the riser behind the boys with a smile on her face.

"oh my my my, oh my my my

you got me high so fast."

"i want to be with you all," san finishes as eunbi walks into the middle of the stage.

together, jongho and her harmonize together with their shared line while dancing with all their energy.

"oh my my my, oh my my my

you got me fly so fast."

"now i know a little than a boy with love." wooyoung flashes a wink to the area where it will soon be filled with people.

the rest of the rehearsal goes well and the chaperones notify them that they will be opening the multipurpose room in five minutes, giving them enough time to shake out the nerves. everyone goes over some of the dance moves and their lines until they hear the door open and people chattering.

eunbi feels a nudge on the shoulder to see yeosang holding his fist towards, and she gladly bumps it with hers.

"good luck," she says with a grin. "i'll see you out there in a little bit."

"you too."

and he walks onto the stage with the rest of his group.

time to get this party started.


	49. Chapter 49

**_"will my painful_ **   
**_wounds catch you all?"_ **

**-moon**

*TRIGGER WARNING: IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH TOPICS SUCH AS SEXUAL ASSUALT, THERE IS AN ALTERNATE VERSION OF THIS CHAPTER!*

"throw it back, seonghwa!"

"oh yeah! show off that booty, hongjoong!"

"go off yeosang!"

listening to her friends' conversations, eunbi lets out a disappointed sigh as she watches them from afar. her arms are propped on the table with her face resting on her hand as she takes another sip of her water.

it has been an hour or two since the dance has officially started, and everyone is going haywire. the dance floor is smothered with people and her ears are throbbing in pain due to people's screaming and the blasting music.

not really her cup of tea.

not enjoying the atmosphere, she pulls out her phone from her purse and scrolls through her social media. the bright screen of her device is the only thing keeping her sane in this wacky place compared to all the color-changing lights in the room.

"hey eunbi!"

looking over her shoulder, she sees wooyoung standing in front of her with a bright grin. she notices that his hand is stretched towards her before she brings her gaze back to the black-haired male.

"do you need something?" she asks, a little wary about his sudden approach.

he rolls his eyes when he hears the question while gesturing to her to take his hand. "you're my date for tonight and we haven't done anything together yet! let's go outside for a while, i need to take a break from dancing anyways."

reluctantly, she obliges to his request and allows him to guide her away from the crowded space while she continues to look through her phone. she needs to take a breath after staying in this suffocating atmosphere for hours already.

the brunette pays no attention to where she is going as she expects to meet with the coldness of the outdoors. yet after a few minutes of walking, the temperature around her has not changed a slight bit.

her ears pick up footsteps trailing behind her and wooyoung, but she disregards them as the sound of their walking echoing throughout the hallway.

wait, hallway?

before she could realize the situation, she hears a door lock behind her and her body immediately tenses up. her eyes wander around her surroundings, taking in every detail of the dark classroom she is currently in.

then, her focus locks onto the boy in front of her.

she yanks her hand out of his grip and takes a step back.

this is not the wooyoung she knows.

standing before her is a towering male with a devious smirk pulling on his lips, a gleam of lust present in his gaze. his tongue seductively licks his lips as his pupils begin at the bottom of her shoes and gradually travel up her body.

a predator staring down its prey.

that is how she is feeling right now.

quickly, she turns on her phone and contacts yeosang.

but no one answers her call.

a low chuckle resonates in the classroom.

"i'm sorry sweetie, but there is no service here."

her eyes widen in fear when she hears those words.

he planned this from the very beginning.

she continues to back up until her back collides with the wall, allowing him to corner her. his hand leaves his side and slowly caresses her jawline as the other one traces her hip, his thumb hovering over the edge of her mouth.

never once does his eyes leave her figure.

"wooyoung," she squeaks. "stop this right now."

he leans his face close to her ear, purring with delight. "princess, i know you are liking this."

and he presses his body against hers.

she places her hands on his chest and pushes with all her strength to escape this uncomfortable position, but he does not budge one bit. she tries to maneuver out of her encasement and the black-haired male holds onto her waist to stop her from squirming.

"baby, don't make this hard for me." his husky voice whispers before his lips trail kisses down her neck. "i promise i'll go easy on you."

she knows exactly what he is implying, and that triggers her adrenaline.

in an instant, she shoves her knee up his crotch and he releases his grip on her to hold his lower region in pain. she flees to the door and attempts to yank it open; however, it seems like it has been locked from the outside.

"dammit _,"_ she curses under her breath _._

_siyeon must have been behind this._

she suddenly feels fingers wrap around her ankle and glances down to see wooyoung, who is still holding his injured area, glaring at her.

"you want to play rough? i will give you rough-"

she stomps on his wrist, causing him to shout and let her go.

with that, she rushes to the opposite side of the classroom to put some space between them. her chest is rising up and down and her eyes observe her surroundings for any escape route.

 _is this what areum went through?_ she wonders as her body trembles uncontrollably. _the sensation of his unwanted touches? the sensation of being powerless? the sensation of fear?_

the sound of a desk screeching against the floor brings her attention to the now-standing male, although he is still limping due to the unbearable pain she bestowed upon him.

"you lied to me!" eunbi yells at him, hands clenched in fists. " we were supposed to go outside and enjoy the outdoors. but instead, you dragged me to a secluded area without anyone knowing and that is absolutely disgusting! "

he scoffs at her scolding. "darling, this is your punishment."

"my punishment for what?!?" she scrunches her eyebrows out of frustration.

"for rejecting me in public!" he finally shouts. "you know how humiliating it was to walk around school, hearing people whisper about how pathetic i looked?!?"

she has enough of this bullshit.

so she storms up to him and slaps him in the face.

hard.

"is the only thing you care about your pride?!?" the brunette screams, voice laced with disbelief. "your status?!? your title in this school?!? the things people say about you?!?"

he remains silent, surprised by her abrupt lashing. his hand reaches to cover his red cheek, the feeling of pain pulsing through his veins.

the female lets out an infuriated sigh. "i'm telling you right now words don't define who you are, but **_you_** do! you need to stop trying to meet the expectations that people put on you because you should be loved for who you are on the inside, not on the outside!"

"but if you're going to be the ignorant person you are-" she unzips her red dress and reveals her lingerie. "then fuck me _right now_! get that bitch siyeon to spread the news, so you can restore that shitty pride of yours!"

nothing but silence resonates in the empty classroom.

the girl runs her hands through her hair, already furious about this situation. she wants to punch him, kick him, do anything to inflict pain to teach him a lesson.

she is so tired of dealing with this passively.

but after a few minutes of calming herself down, eunbi speaks up once more with a soft voice. "it may not be noticeable through my simple gestures, but i care about you. i am forever grateful for the time when you checked on me and defended me with the others from siyeon. you make my days better with your goofy personality, and i appreciate it a lot. when you were starving yourself, i made you lunch because i was worried about your well-being. you are someone i cherish dearly."

"but after this, it makes me wonder..."

"did you ever think of me as a friend? or do you label me as someone who is only using you to make a name for themselves?"

wooyoung feels droplets of water streaming down his face and notices how blurry his sight is getting. he pulls his hand away from his face, feeling the wetness of his fingertips.

he's crying.

slowly, he crouches to the floor and wraps his arms around himself as he chokes on his tears.

no one really cared about him, only hanging around him because he is popular and good looking. in return, he never paid attention to those he called "friends" due to everyone's homogeneous intentions. yeah, he is close to some people like san and the rest of his dance group...

but at the end of the day, he only had himself to trust.

that is what he feared most: loneliness.

to have no one be there with you when you needed it the most, it scares him. therefore, he believed that people would stay by his side if he let their words control his life.

yet after hearing eunbi tell him off, he finally realizes that there are people who cherish him for who he really is, people who he can really trust, people who will always be there for him...

people like her.

in a quiet voice, the girl calls out to him.

"woo, look at me."

he can't...

because he's ashamed of himself.

"don't get near me," he mutters. "i-i might hurt you again. i'm a monster."

she approaches him and crouches down to his level, bringing his head into her shoulder.

"it's okay," she soothes. "it's okay."

and she hugs him.

all he could do is hold onto her and cry into her embrace.

despite all the things he has done to her, she still found the heart to forgive him.


	50. Chapter 50

**_"will my painful_ **   
**_wounds catch you all?"_ **

**-moon**

*ALTERNATE VERSION*

"throw it back, seonghwa!"

"oh yeah! show off that booty, hongjoong!"

"go off yeosang!"

listening to her friends' conversations, eunbi lets out a disappointed sigh as she watches them from afar. her arms are propped on the table with her face resting on her hand as she takes another sip of her water.

it has been an hour or two since the dance has officially started, and everyone is going haywire. the dance floor is smothered with people and her ears are throbbing in pain due to people's screaming and the blasting music.

not really her cup of tea.

not enjoying the atmosphere, she pulls out her phone from her purse and scrolls through her social media. the bright screen of her device is the only thing keeping her sane in this wacky place compared to all the color-changing lights in the room.

"hey eunbi!"

looking over her shoulder, she sees wooyoung standing in front of her with a bright grin. she notices that his hand is stretched towards her before she brings her gaze back to the black-haired male.

"do you need something?" she asks, a little wary about his sudden approach.

he rolls his eyes when he hears the question while gesturing to her to take his hand. "you're my date for tonight and we haven't done anything together yet! let's go outside for a while, i need to take a break from dancing anyways."

reluctantly, she obliges to his request and allows him to guide her away from the crowded space while she continues to look through her phone. she needs to take a breath after staying in this suffocating atmosphere for hours already.

the brunette pays no attention to where she is going as she expects to meet with the coldness of the outdoors. yet after a few minutes of walking, the temperature around her has not changed a slight bit.

her ears pick up footsteps trailing behind her and wooyoung, but she disregards them as the sound of their walking echoing throughout the hallway.

wait, hallway?

before she could realize the situation, she hears a door lock behind her and her body immediately tenses up. her eyes wander around her surroundings, taking in every detail of the dark classroom she is currently in.

then, her focus locks onto the boy in front of her.

she yanks her hand out of his grip and takes a step back.

this is not the wooyoung she knows.

standing before her is a towering male with his jaws clenched, a gleam of intensity present in his gaze. hues of red begin arising to the surface of his skin as his breaths becomes heavier the second.

a predator staring down its prey.

that is how she is feeling right now.

quickly, she turns on her phone and contacts yeosang.

but no one answers her call.

a low chuckle resonates in the classroom.

"i'm sorry sweetie, but there is no service here."

her eyes widen in fear when she hears those words.

he planned this from the very beginning.

even though he remains still in his spot, she backs up until she can feel herself collides with the wall.

never once does his eyes leave her figure.

"why?" wooyoung asks, gritting his teeth. "why did you do that?"

eunbi's remain in contact with his as her hands frantically search for any object. "wh-why what?"

he takes a step forward. "why did you have to do that to me?"

she blinks a few times and takes a moment to interpret the statement while he takes another step closer to heR.

"what are you t-talking about?"

at this point, wooyoung is standing right in front of her with his hands clenched in fists. "you know exactly what i am talking about.

she scrunches her eyebrows together in confusion, legs trembling in fear. "i-i don't. i really don't know-"

fingers wrap around her throat and a gasp of air echoes in the empty classroom. eunbi's hands scramble to the hand that's squeezing her throat and attempts to pry it off her as tears of pain stream down her face.

"stop lying! i know you do! were you trying to ruin me?!?"

her vision becomes hazy as the supply of air decreases, her thoughts barely able to comprehend his words. she can feel her conscience slowly slip from her grasp and her strength become weaker. she tries to shout for help, but nothing comes out of her mouth.

but she could not let this be the end of her.

in an instant, she harshly kicks his chest and he releases his grip on her to hold himselfin pain. she flees to the door and attempts to yank it open; however, it seems like it has been locked from the outside.

"dammit _,"_ she curses under her breath _._

_siyeon must have been behind this._

she suddenly feels fingers wrap around her ankle and glances down to see wooyoung, who is crawling on the floor. 

"you want to play rough? i will give you rough-"

she stomps on his wrist, causing him to shout and let her go.

with that, she rushes to the opposite side of the classroom to put some space between them. her chest is rising up and down and her eyes observe her surroundings for any escape route.

 _is this what areum went through?_ she wonders as her body trembles uncontrollably. _the sensation of being powerless? the sensation of fear?_

the sound of a desk screeching against the floor brings her attention to the now-standing male, although he is still limping due to the unbearable pain she bestowed upon him.

"you lied to me!" eunbi yells at him, hands clenched in fists. " we were supposed to go outside and enjoy the outdoors. but instead, you dragged me to a secluded area without anyone knowing and that is absolutely disgusting!"

he scoffs at her scolding. "this is what you were asking for."

"what do you mean!?" she scrunches her eyebrows out of frustration.

"for rejecting me in public!" he finally shouts. "you know how humiliating it was to walk around school, hearing people whisper about how pathetic i looked?!?"

she has enough of this bullshit.

so she storms up to him and slaps him in the face.

hard.

"is the only thing you care about your pride?!?" the brunette screams, voice laced with disbelief. "your status?!? your title in this school?!? the things people say about you?!?"

he remains silent, surprised by her abrupt lashing. his hand reaches to cover his red cheek, the feeling of pain pulsing through his veins.

the female lets out an infuriated sigh. "i'm telling you right now words don't define who you are, but **_you_** do! you need to stop trying to meet the expectations that people put on you because you should be loved for who you are on the inside, not on the outside!"

"but if you're going to be the ignorant person you are-" she takes his hand and smacks her face with it. "then fuck me up _right now_! get that bitch siyeon to spread the news, so you can restore that shitty pride of yours!"

nothing but silence resonates in the empty classroom.

"why aren't you doing anything?!?" she shrieks, steam escaping her nostrils, as she lifts his hand once more. "didn't you want to pummel me to shit?!?"

she is so tired of dealing with this passively.

but after a few minutes of calming herself down, eunbi releases her grip on his wrist and speaks up once more with a soft voice. "it may not be noticeable through my simple gestures, but i care about you. i am forever grateful for the time when you checked on me and defended me with the others from siyeon. you make my days better with your goofy personality, and i appreciate it a lot. when you were starving yourself, i made you lunch because i was worried about your well-being. you are someone i cherish dearly."

"but after this, it makes me wonder..."

"did you ever think of me as a friend? or do you label me as someone who is only using you to make a name for themselves?"

wooyoung feels droplets of water streaming down his face and notices how blurry his sight is getting. he pulls his hand away from his face, feeling the wetness of his fingertips.

he's crying.

slowly, he crouches to the floor and wraps his arms around himself as he chokes on his tears.

no one really cared about him, only hanging around him because he is popular and good looking. in return, he never paid attention to those he called "friends" due to everyone's similar intentions. yeah, he is close to some people like san and the rest of his dance group...

but at the end of the day, he only had himself to trust.

that is what he feared most: loneliness.

to have no one be there with you when you needed it the most, it scares him. therefore, he believed that people would stay by his side if he let their words control his life.

yet after hearing eunbi tell him off, he finally realizes that there are people who cherish him for who he really is, people who he can really trust, people who will always be there for him...

people like her.

in a quiet voice, the girl calls out to him.

"woo, look at me."

he can't...

because he's ashamed of himself.

"don't get near me," he mutters. "i-i might hurt you again. i'm a monster."

she approaches him and crouches down to his level, bringing his head into her shoulder.

"it's okay," she soothes. "it's okay."

and she hugs him.

all he could do is hold onto her and cry into her embrace.

despite all the things he has done to her, she still found the heart to forgive him.


	51. Chapter 51

**"everything comes back to you."**

**-** **this town**

"yo wooyoung, why are your eyes red? and eunbi, why is your skin slight red at some parts?"

wooyoung and eunbi have returned to the dance after ten minutes of figuring out how to escape the classroom without breaking anything. there was no simple way out, so they eventually jumped out the window since it was only the second floor. everyone else decided to take a break from dancing and settle themselves at their table, drinks hanging from their hands.

"we were taking a walk along the garden and i tripped into a bush," eunbi explains to her friends, rubbing her date's hand reassuringly. "wooyoung caught me before my whole body fell, and i accidentally smacked his eyes really hard with my arms."

making eye contact with yeosang, she notices how much he is squirming in his seat with anxiety as he takes a sip of his pepsi. his hand slightly squeezes the can while his eyes burn with fury, and this causes the girl to excuse herself from the group along with the blond male.

outside the building, her friend immediately gets his hands on her shoulder and shakes her frantically.

"did he do anything to you?" he worriedly asks. "where did he touch you? i swear to god i will personally send him to the hospital if he-"

"i'm fine," she intervenes, a small smile on her lips. "nothing happened."

"don't lie to me, eun."

"i'm telling the truth; we had a nice, long talk while walking around and that was it."

"please explain the red blotches on your legs and the redness of wooyoung's eyes. you did not take a nice walk around the garden for, i don't know, _two fucking hours_."

"i'm telling the truth," she lies once more, not wanting to involve him in this matter. "he didn't do anything to me, just trust me for once."

hearing this allows him to let out a sigh of relief and release his grip on her, the sensation of ease washing over his body. his heart that was once pounding against his chest relaxes as his gaze softens.

"if i find out that you are lying to me-" he slides his thumb across his neck, "you're as good as dead."

she chuckles a little before nodding, patting his shoulder out of reassurance. the two of them head back inside the multipurpose room and join the rest of their friends, who are chattering with one another.

except, eunbi slyly slips into the hallway of the building when yeosang is not looking.

she quietly goes to her dressing room for the second time since her performance was approaching. when she enters the room, she does not see anyone rummaging around the room. knowing that her teacher has already left due to how late it is at night, she prepares her attire herself and adjusts her makeup.

now wearing a long, poofy, baby blue dress, she adjusts the color-matching mask resting on her face before pulling it over her head. she warms up her voice a little as she stares in the mirror, observing the slightest movements of the dress.

she then hears a knock on the door and turns around to see someone peer into the room.

"hello miss," they greet with a small smile. "let's get you on stage, shall we? your performance will be happening in a few minutes."

with that, the two of them leave the room and head to the backstage. the person escorting her communicates with someone on their earpiece, notifying that they are on their way, while the performer silently goes over the song in her head.

in a minute or two, they arrive to the stage and the dj has recently left the spotlight. the stage crew scurries along the platform, hands filled with equipment, as the announcer entertains the audience for a little.

noticing her arrival, the mc transitions into introducing the next performance, earning a loud applause from the crowd, before they allow her to walk onto the stage. all eyes are on her, and everyone whispers about her presence.

 _ethereal_ , she hears them say with their fingers pointing at her. _the most delicate, beautiful person who stepped into the dance._

and for once, she agrees with them.

eunbi settles herself behind the piano and hovers her fingers over the keys. silence washes over the crowd and a short breath echoes throughout the room.

"full of loneliness," she sings quietly along with her piano. "this garden blossomed, full of thorns. i bind myself in this sand castle."

"what is your name?

do you have a place to go?

oh could you tell me?

i saw you hiding in this garden."

averting her gaze from the piano, she looks up to see people gathering around the dance floor with their partners in their gentle grasp, swaying one another to the music. the girls lean their heads against their date's chest to listen to every beat of their heart.

"and i know

all of your warmth is real

the blue flower your hand was picking

i want to hold it..."

her eyes subconsciously lock onto a particular couple as she continues to perform, the blooming pain slowly growing in her heart.

"but this is my fate

don't smile on me

light on me

because i can't get closer to you

there's no name you can call me."

in her view is san with that same girl she has encountered today dancing together in harmony. they do gentle twists and turns with a small smile pulling on their delicate lips as if they are in their own world. when the black-haired male makes eye contact with the performer, she immediately diverts her gaze to the keyboard.

"you know that i can't

show you me

give you me

i can't show you a ruined part of myself

i wear a mask again and go to see you

but i still want you."

it hurts so much.

_so so much._

she can feel the tears pricking her eyes, but she fights the urge to break down.

"bloomed in a garden of loneliness

a flower that resembles you

i wanted to give you

after taking off the stupid mask."

 _take the stupid mask off_ , a voice repeats in her head. _take the stupid mask, and he'll be yours._

she slightly shakes her head at the thought, already knowing that it will not calm the storm brewing within her.

"but i know

i can't do that forever

i have to hide

because i'm a monster."

a chilly sensation travels down her spine and a shaky breath leaves her lips.

"i am afraid

i am shattered

i'm so afraid

that you will leave me again in the end

once again i put on a mask and go to see you."

every step the couple takes together presses onto her already broken heart, yet she perseveres through the pain.

 _you are used to this_ , she reminds herself. _this is nothing new._

"the only thing i can do

in the garden

in this world

is to bloom a pretty flower that resembles you

and to breathe as the me that you know."

she sighs.

"but i still want you."

she gives herself a break by playing the piano, the melody flowing along with the accompaniment. each chord progression rings in her ears, dragging her lower to the depths of her emotions.

"i still want you."

she lifts her focus from the keyboard to see them once more, closer than they were ever before. her playing becomes more aggressive, fueled with jealousy, and her voice comes back alive with desperation.

"maybe back then

a little

just this much

if i had the courage to stand before you

would everything be different now?"

she should have expected this.

she should have expected that one day, someone would fall in love san and make him the happiest man alive. everything about him is absolutely lovable: his beautiful smile, his cute laugh, his mesmerizing dance moves, his adorable clingy personality...

absolutely everything.

"i'm crying

that's disappeared

that's fallen

left alone in this sandcastle

looking at this broken mask."

a tear manages to stream down her face.

slowly, she stops playing and silence overcomes the music, causing everyone looks over to the performer. her hand brings itself to her baby blue mask and her fingers gently wrap themselves on its edges. realizing the situation, the audience slightly gasps at the sight and begin anticipating for the reveal.

"the truth untold" by bts.

a song about hiding your broken side with a facade, being afraid that your loved ones will leave if they ever see the truth.

she wants to take this stupid mask off- she really does.

and so, she gradually pulls off the mask until she notices a moving figure on the side. she halts in her movement and focuses on the person, recognizing them in an instant.

jeong yunho.

in the back, he frantically rushes to the exit leading to the garden while everyone is distracted. his fingers get a hold on the handle and he pushes door, allowing the moonlight to seep into the building.

with his beautiful side profile in view, the girl could not help but stare at the magnificent view before her. the way the moonlight sharpened his jawline, the way the moonlight brought out his lovely brown eyes, the way the moonlight sparkled onto his light skin, the way the moonlight caused her heart to race at the sight before her.

it was as if she fell in love with him all over again.

she subconsciously brings her mouth closer to the microphone and whispers...

"but i still want you."


	52. Chapter 52

**_"it's not difficult to love you."_ **

**-** **only then**

"yunho?"

hearing his name being called, the male instinctively looked over his shoulder to see a familiar girl in a red dress crouching down to his level. his face is streaming with tears as he sniffles loudly, hugging his legs closer to him.

he averts his gaze from her and buries his face into his arms. "leave me alone."

ignoring his request, she settles herself a few inches away from him before leaning against the tree he is currently hiding behind.

"you know you can talk to me," eunbi nonchalantly says. "i won't judge."

"i told you to leave me alone," he growls, scrunching his eyebrows together. "we're not friends, remember?"

she scoffs at his pathetic argument while she looks at the moon's reflection against the surface of the garden's stream. "you say that, but you need someone to talk to."

"you don't know that."

"yes i do," she scolds. "if you haven't forgotten, i have known you since we were kids. it is a fact that you need to be comforted right now because of the way you are acting right now. you never admit it, but you're such a sensitive person to emotional pain."

that shuts his mouth, because she's right.

he really does need someone right now.

this burning sensation yunho is feeling is bothersome, and only comfort can subdue this pain.

a vision of earlier events flash before his eyes and he trembles in his grasp. he shuts his eyes closed and screams in his mind to stop replaying the scene, but it continues to proceed with the memory.

never once has he felt this feeling, but now he is drowning in it.

 _help me_ , he calls out in his mind. _someone, please help me forget._

immersed in darkness, his ears pick up a muffled noise from close by. there is a sense of urgency in the tone, but he could not understand anything. the sound becomes louder every second and his body begins shaking until a clear voice speaks to him.

_"open your eyes."_

when he does, he sees all but one person in front of him with a worried expression written on their face. his heart is pounding against his chest and his face is soaked in cold sweat, his chest rising up and down at a fast pace. his eyes frantically look around him, widened in fear, before the same voice speaks again.

"yunho, look at me."

his attention brings itself to eunbi as she gently touches his arm to calm him down, a reassuring smile on her lips.

"tell me what's wrong," she softly whispers. "let me help you, yu-yu."

it's been awhile since he has heard her call him that name, the name that she has used when they were children. he never thought she would use that name ever again since the both of them grew out of using their childish nicknames for each other, but to listen to the way it left her lips blooms a fluttering sensation in his stomach.

all he could do is focus on her.

her beautiful skin basks under the moonlight as her wavy hair tickles her face. her doe-shaped eyes hold the stars of the night and her parted lips shimmer in the light. the delicate smile she wears makes his heart race at the sight, the crave to touch her slowly grows from within.

tears begin falling down his face once more when he realizes how much he misses her.

all because of one person...

kim siyeon.

"it was when the masked singer was performing," he started as he gradually unravels his inner turmoil. "siyeon and i were sitting at a table and she told me to get her a drink, and so i left my seat to grab some refreshers. when i came back a few minutes later..."

he takes in a shaky breath before continuing.

"she was making out with another guy."

the girl only stays quiet as he continues rambling his emotions away.

"i walked up to them and was about to separate them until she told me to stop. she said that i was boring and being with me was not satisfying enough for her, so she dumped me on the spot and left with that guy."

the memory of that day where he arrived to scene between siyeon and eunbi plays before his eyes, seeing the pain written on the brunette's face when he insulted her. not even allowing her to explain herself, he can feel everything from within her shatter to pieces as he walked away from her with his "loved one" in his arms.

"i should have listened to you," he frustratingly cries. "i should have trusted you, but i was blinded by love and hurt you instead. i threw away a friendship that i invested in for years for a relationship that lasted only a fraction of that. i ignored you, the person who was with me my entire life, to be with someone who never appreciated me for who i am."

his hands cup his face and his sobs increase in volume while the regret in his body spreads through his body.

he was such a jerk to her.

as he continues to weep, he feels a pair of small arms wrap around him, and he instantly returns the gesture. a small yelp escapes eunbi's mouth when they fall backward, her back meeting the soft surface of the grass. he nuzzles his head into the crook of her neck and holds her tight as if there is no tomorrow as she pats his back.

"i'm sorry bi-bi. i'm so sorry for all the pain i caused you."

there is a long pause between them, probably because she could never accept his apology after what he has done to her. he couldn't forgive him for his actions, so how could she?

but what she responds with surprises him.

"it's okay," she consoles while resting her cheek on his soft, light brown hair. "i forgave you a long time ago."

and with that, he cries more into the embrace, taking the moment to appreciate the scent of roses and the warmth of the girl's body. to be forgiven brings joy to him as he gradually calms down due to her comforting presence and exhaustion seeps into his system, his eyes drooping a little.

he is not worthy of this merciful act.

suddenly, eunbi breaks the hug and stands up from the floor to brush off the specks of grass on his red dress. the male whines and rolls onto his back, facing the night sky above. she stretches her aching back and a satisfied sigh leaves her mouth before extending her hand towards yunho with her lips curved into a smile.

"would like to dance, mr. jeong?" she asks, eyes sparkling with excitement.

he takes her hand and gets back onto his feet with a mirroring smile as they adjust their dancing position. with intertwined hands, the female places her other hand onto his shoulder while her partner holds onto her waist.

"it would be an honor, ms. park."

their broken hearts join as one and together, they gracefully dance under the blanket of stars, their laughs ringing through the silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i say this a lot, but thank you guys for reading my story!! i'm really honored that you guys read my story. ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆
> 
> i also love seeing your reactions, so don't be scared to comment your feelings on certain parts of the story! fyi, this was lowkey my favorite chapter to write like i was literally listening to sob music while writing this URVWCHEWB (okay, but when am i not tho XD).
> 
> i'm planning the ending or trying to get an idea on how i'm ending this story (there's a long way to the end tho so dont worry ncwecbiw), so who should i put eunbi with? i already have an idea on who but i want your opinions on it too, and doesnt have to be restricted to the two male leads ;) i also have a thought about how she doesn't have to end up with someone and should focus on herself! wait, what happens if i do both endings like "la la land"? :0 let me know about your ideas or whether you agree with one of these possible endings!
> 
> thank you for coming to my TED Talk AAHAHAHA, okay everyone have a lovely day/ get a goodnight's rest! love you all so much MWAH! <3


	53. Chapter 53

**_"memories bring back you."_ **

**_-_ ** **_memories_ **

"eunbi-ah, wake up!"

the girl turns her body away from the noise and snuggles closer into her fluffy blanket as her eyebrows scrunch together in annoyance. wanting to block out her cousin's shouting, she brings the side of her pillow to cover her ear as her conscience slowly seeps back into deep slumber.

"five more minutes," she mumbles. "just five more minutes please."

suddenly, her only source of warmth is yanked away from her and her head hits her mattress, a painful groan leaving her lips. she reluctantly opens her eyes and glares at jungkook, who has her sleeping necessities in his possession. when she looks over to her alarm clock, she rolls her eyes and falls back onto her bed.

"oppa, it's only 6 am. why did you have to wake me up so early? school doesn't even start in another hour and forty-five minutes."

"yeah i know," he replies while his finger points to the entrance of her room. "but someone came by to pick you up."

this causes her to jump off her bed and approach the door, peering her head out of the door frame.

from afar, she can see her relatives sitting around the dining table while holding a conversation with someone. their eyes spark with interest as they listen to the person's story, and her ears twitch at the familiar masculine voice.

her eyes widen once she recognizes that voice and immediately pushes her cousin out of her bedroom, so she can change out of her pajamas.

 _what is he doing here?_ she asks herself, pulling her grey sweater over her head.

he has only been to this house once, so how did he remember the route to here?

nonetheless, she quickly puts on her school attire and does her morning routine in the bathroom. with one last look in the mirror, she pulls her hair up into a ponytail and adjusts the waistband of her sweatpants before heading downstairs to greet everyone.

seokijin, who is facing the stairs, notice the girl first and waves at her with a small smile. she kindly returns the gesture as she drifts towards the refrigerator, searching for the lunch she made for herself last night.

someone then places their hand on her shoulder, and she turns over to lock her gaze on her brother's gleaming face; in his arm is the welcomed visitor, who is sheepishly grinning at her.

"eunbi, you never told me yunho goes to the same school as you!" jimin exclaims as he ruffles the boy's hair. "you know how long it has been since I last saw him?!?"

"i honestly don't care," she simply says, her hands making their way to a container of her food and placing it into the microwave. "you have a cellphone for a reason, so you could have texted him or something."

her brother's jaw opens at the sound of her throwing sass at him and he lightly punches the girl's shoulder. "you're so mean!"

"yes, and you're so annoying."

a loud beep catches eunbi's attention and she immediately takes out the container from the microwave. she wanders into the cabinets of the kitchen to grab a bento box and then prepares her lunch, ignoring the two boys beside her.

as she plates her food, she feels a tall presence hover over her to watch her hands present a beautiful piece of art and hears a soft sigh. already knowing her situation here, she glances at her leftovers before turning around to face yunho.

"you know, you could have asked me to make you lunch."

with an embarrassed smile, the tall male rubs the nape of his neck and avoids eye contact with her. "it would be kinda rude though."

"it's fine," she replies while assembling another bento box. "i don't think i would want to eat this a second time today anyways."

"ah, i forgot that you had work."

after making two lunches, she hands her friend his food and grabs her backpack that is hanging on the side of the wall. yunho, who has nothing else to do, trails behind her as she gets ready to leave for school. her relatives watch this interaction from afar, a soft smile pulling on their lips. jimin, being most familiar with the light brunette, recalls the memories of those two spending their time together.

no matter what happens, yunho will always follow eunbi around.

"we're going to head out now," the girl shouts, waving her hand at the group of males at the dining table. "i'll see you after school!"

the boy does a small bow and together, they exit the house and embark their journey to school. they enter a white sedan and the scent of fast food breakfast seeps into their nostrils, earning a silly grin from eunbi. when they buckle their seat belts, yunho slowly backs the car from the driveway and zooms into the streets of seoul.

being curious about the location of the smell, the brunette glances around the vehicle to see a brown paper bag relaxing in the back seats. reaching over her seat, she manages to grab the bag and look into it.

"what's all this for?" she asks, her hand reaching for a hash brown.

the male quickly looks over to her before grinning. "i got those on the way here for you as a thank you for that night. i had breakfast at the dormitory, so you can eat all of that."

with a softened heart, she enjoys the small breakfast he has provided for her. "thank you."

the fact that the light brunette has mentioned about the night of the dance causes them to remain silent for the rest of the car ride to school, immersing themselves in their thoughts. the beautiful scenery of the garden appears before their eyes and a small blush arises to their cheeks as they remember each and every detail of the memory.

to feel each other's touch makes their heart race.

once they arrive at their destination, they both exit the vehicle and walk to the entrance of the school together. with each step he takes, yunho inches closer and closer to eunbi on the way there until their shoulders brush against one another. it can be seen as a playful action; however, this meant something different to him.

something more.

and surprisingly, she does not shy away from this interaction.

instead, she presses her side closer to him.

"it's cold," she clarifies. "and you're the closest thing that can keep me warm."

oh, how the butterflies in his stomach flutter at her simple gesture.

he wishes this could last forever.

but this pleasant feeling disperses into thin air when he hears a familiar voice behind them.

"yunho?"


	54. Chapter 54

**_"the world gone mad,_ **   
**_can't ignore this noise."_ **

**-** **deep end**

"wait a damn minute."

eunbi takes a few seconds to blink out of disbelief before she turns around to see the one person she never wanted in her sight.

the bitch herself- park siyeon.

cleaning her ears out, the brunette forces her lips to curve into an innocent smile. "i'm sorry, what did you say?"

the other female gasps when she recognizes the girl beside yunho and points her finger at her. "yunho, why are you with her?"

yunho, who finally decided to face his ex, raises his eyebrow at her. "here's the real question: what are you even talking about?"

taken back by his sudden remark, she holds her chest in pain as tears begin to stream down her face. her sniffles catch the attention of the bystanders and slowly, people surround the three of them. whispers are now thrown across the area, forming rumors that will soon be passed around the school.

"i knew it!" siyeon cries out. "you have been hooking up with that bitch this entire time!"

the female simply stares at her with her jaw hanging open, dumbfounded at this pathetic reaction she is witnessing. believing she is hallucinating, the girl rubs her eyes a few times and sees the same scene occurring before her.

eunbi starts to laugh hysterically.

one arm holds onto her stomach as the other one occasionally slaps her thigh, confusing everyone around her. with her blurry vision, she catches her breath and leans against the tall male beside her.

"oh man this is hilarious!" she exclaims while wiping her tears. "me?!? hooking up with yunho?!? you have to be kidding!"

she is definitely going crazy.

once she calms herself down, the vocalist approaches the female dancer and places her hands on her hip. one leg props up and an expression of disgust is displayed on her face.

"are you fucking serious?" she scoffs. "just because i came to school with him?"

knowing that she has got her hooked, a smirk tugs on siyeon's lips. "i mean, you did fuck wooyoung on the night of the dance."

with that, everyone chats with those around them and yunho looks at the brunette with widened eyes. in contrast, eunbi remains unfazed by the statement and taps her foot impatiently. reaching for her phone, she flashes the crowd a smirk and rolls her eyes before responding to the remark.

"oh, you mean that time when you locked wooyoung and i in an abandoned room?"

"what are you talking about-"

pulling up a video, the brunette faces the screen away from her and plays the film in front of her audience.

occurring in her device is a scene where she was recording the beautiful night as she holds a small conversation with the black-haired male. throughout the video, they can see the view of wooyoung's charming smile when they joke around with one another. they then head towards the door after a few minutes of talking and try to exit the room; however, it was locked from outside. the film ends where the girl successfully jumped out the window with the help of her date.

eunbi knew that siyeon would pull a trick on her, so she planned this video beforehand.

"don't try to say shit when you don't have evidence," the vocalist says with her taunting grin. "we wouldn't want you to taint your pretty, little mouth of yours with lies."

raising her hands in surrender, the female dancer simply snorts at the comeback.

"okay, you got me there. but that doesn't change the fact that _you_ and yunho are together."

yunho steps forward with an infuriated expression written all over his face, his ears fuming with anger. "siyeon, stop this right now-"

"prove it," the vocalist intervenes. "please tell me why you think yunho and i are dating."

with her permission, siyeon cups her hands around her mouth and calls out a name one person would regret hearing.

"choi san, would it be alright if you stepped into the circle?"

and all the confidence surging through her body collapses in an instant.

obliging to her request, the black-haired male nonchalantly walks into the center of attention with his hands in his pants pockets. he looks over to the slightly blond girl with a soft smile as he awaits for his next command.

now that her witness is here, she points over to the pair across from her with a sinister smile.

"san, can you tell everyone what you saw on the night of the dance?"

he nods before facing forward, his unwavering gaze locking onto eunbi's eyes as he begins speaking. the vocalist can feel her hands clench into fists and tears struggling to break through the surface at every word that is spoken. a suffocating feeling gurgles underneath her skin while she trembles in fear.

"i saw them dancing in each other's arms outside when i was taking a breath of air," he says, no signs of emotions evident in his tone. "you can practically feel the love in the air as they glide along the grass."

san takes note of each and every detail of eunbi's shocked reaction as he continues.

"when i went back inside, i saw siyeon crying and i asked her what was wrong. apparently, yunho told her that he wanted to break up with her because he was in love with someone else."

yunho's ears perk at the sound of false information and immediately storms toward the short male, using his height to tower over him. "that is completely false because _she_ was the one who broke up with me. she was kissing another guy and eunbi was comforting me."

"you liar!" siyeon bellows. "you were the one who broke us up and left to be with that bitch!"

at this point, everyone is bickering with one another and the audience is gossiping about their situation while the brunette stands off to the side, suffocating herself with all the raging emotions within her.

betrayal.

frustration.

sadness.

to think that the people who used to matter to her the most are the reason behind her emotional turmoil.

she wishes for this pain to stop.

she wishes for this drama to stop.

_she wishes for all this to stop._

she's sick and tired of this.

and so, she musters all the strength she has to storm up to the female on the opposing side and push her.

"what do you want from me?!?" she yells loudly, veins popping out her neck. "what is it that is encouraging this action?!?"

with her sudden outburst, everyone becomes quiet as she continues to ramble to her heart's intent.

"are you afraid of me?!? jealous of me?!? do you just enjoy watching me suffer that much to drag other people into this mess?!?"

she earns no response from the person she is confronting, pissing her off even more.

"you have a mouth for a reason, park siyeon! or you acting like a-"

"i want you out of my life!"

the light blonde finally replies with more aggregation than before, her eyebrows angled downward.

"you are so annoying, you know that?!? you always think you're better than everyone else with your snotty attitude; you don't deserve anything in life!"

arching her back, eunbi releases a maniac laugh once more.

"you want me out of your life?!?" she sneers, the mocking smile never leaving her face. "i'm sorry, but you're not doing a good job of getting rid of me!"

leaning closer to her face, the brunette rolls her eyes at her.

"let's make a deal then," she offers. "we have private evaluations coming soon, so how about we do ours in public? we will have a voting ballot for who has a better performance."

now intrigued, the female dancer scoffs at the idea.

"what do i get from this?"

the vocalist backs up from her and makes eye contact with every single person surrounding them. an idea begins brewing in her head as she notifies the audience of this challenge.

"if you win, i will leave kq."

this receives numerous gasps from all around, including the two boys standing in the middle. san looks at her with widened eyes while yunho forces the girl to face him, jaw hanging open.

"are you crazy?!?" he shouts in disbelief. "this is not a game you should be playing-"

immediately, eunbi cuts him off with a simple glare. "don't butt in, i know what i am doing."

returning her focus to siyeon, she resumes explaining her offer.

"if i win, you won't be leaving kq..."

a delicate grin tugs on her lips.

"i'll just pay your parents a visit during the holidays. they must be wondering about how you've been behaving in school."

looking around her, the cockiness from within her grows.

"whoever wants me out of this school, you can join this little competition."

and with that, a declaration of war has been made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy birthday to one of the most amazing people in the world, choi jongho!!!


	55. Chapter 55

**_"i hate that i love you."_ **

**-i hate you, i love you**

"san, we need to talk."

the black-haired male turns around to see his best friend standing behind him, a stern expression plastered on his face as his grip on his shoulder tightens. he can tell that he has something urgent to say with that eyebrow raise and that eye glance, and so he excuses himself from the lunch table.

drifting away from the crowded cafeteria, the two boys travel the stairs and enter the rooftop, where no one can overhear their conversation. crossing his arms against his chest, san impatiently taps his foot as he waits for the other male to speak up.

"so? what did you want to talk about?"

wooyoung simply sighs while shaking his head. "you're such a dick."

"excuse me?" his eyes widen at the sound of that insult. "i'm a dick? why would you say that to me?"

"because of what you did this morning."

the boy with the cat-like eyes raises his chin a little, his gaze no longer soft as before. a hard glare is bestowed upon his friend and a scoff leaves his lips.

"i was simply stating what i saw that night and nothing more."

"no you weren't," he firmly states. "i don't remember seeing siyeon crying that night. she was literally having the night of her life at the dance."

a few seconds of silence overcomes the conversation since san has nothing to say against that- it was true after all. he lied about finding the slightly blond girl weeping with sorrow; in fact, he never witnessed anything that night. siyeon asked him for his help and he found himself lending a hand.

his ears twitch when he hears wooyoung's voice speaking up once more.

"do you know how hurt eunbi was when she saw you on the other side, siding with someone you once hated so much for all the pain they inflicted on her? to think that one of her closest friends would betray her right in front of her."

"well you're no different," san argues. "don't pretend that you didn't partner up with siyeon so you could-"

"yes, i know."

wooyoung raises his hands up in surrender, although his serious gaze never leaves the boy in front of him.

"you don't have to remind me about that," the black-haired boy sighs regretfully. "but i learned my lesson; she literally lectured me until i started crying."

a painful sensation blooms in san's heart when he recalls the memories similar to his friend's description, always being scolded for not thinking he was good enough. all those nights hearing her soothing voice compliment him was something he will never forget.

she may not know it, but she has always had a way with words.

"sounds just like her," he subconsciously whispers, a soft smile pulling on his lips. realizing what he has done, he immediately covers his mouth to prevent any more words from leaking out or any facial gestures from betraying him.

but that phrase and that smile are the only things wooyoung needed to confirm his suspicions.

"you're in love with her, aren't you?"

there is a pause in san's reply.

"absolutely not," the boy in denial answers. "if you haven't noticed, i'm making a move on soojin."

"yeah sure." wooyoung runs his hand through his hair. "don't lie to me- i know you haven't moved on. you're just trying to distract yourself."

san raises an eyebrow at his friend's peculiar response, confused by his sudden change of character. he used to tell san to get himself a girl no matter who it was, but now he's convincing him to stay loyal to one girl.

that one girl who broke his heart so many times.

he tilts his head to the side. "what is wrong with you? you seem... different."

the slightly long-haired boy shrugs. "eunbi has a changing effect on people, and i happened to be one of them."

with a finger, he lifts up his hand to point at the male in front of him. "you too, san. she changed you- for the better or the worst."

he's right.

throughout the time of his friendship with her, san was slowly drifting away from his past self.

confidence.

motivation.

positivity.

those were some things he never had before he met eunbi, and to only know her for a few months has opened his eyes to new things in life. he has become happier around everyone, always looking forward to the time he will spend with the girl.

but look at them now, shattered like a broken mirror.

"i can't believe you gave up on her after i asked her to be my date to the dance," he hears wooyoung sigh. "everything i did was practically worth nothing."

scrunching his eyebrows together, san flashes him a confused look. "what are you even talking about?"

wooyoung puts a shoulder on his best friend's shoulder and locks eye contact with him. "the dance proposal, the kitchen and school interactions, all those nights of talking about her... majority of that was an act."

san's eyes widen when he takes in all that information.

"excuse me?!?" he shouts unintentionally. "all of that was fake?!?"

"i wanted you to be selfish for once!" the slightly long-haired male explains. "it's great to be selfless for your friends, but you need to think for yourself sometimes!"

san pushes the boy away from him, anger written on his face. "i do think for myself! i decided that i should move on because she deserved better!"

"see?!?" wooyoung pinches the bridge of his nose out of frustration. "did you not hear yourself?!?"

**"you're giving her up because you think it's for the best for her, not because you want to!"**

once again, silence overcomes the tense situation as the two males stare at each other, their chests quickly rising up and down. their eyes never leave their gaze and their hands are clench into fists while they grit their teeth.

"i give up!" wooyoung snaps. "if you don't get your feelings sorted out in time, you're gonna regret it!"

and with that, he leaves the rooftop for san to stand alone with his conflicted thoughts. a loud exhale rings through his ears and he shuts his eyes to immerse himself into darkness, the gentle breeze kissing his skin.

this feeling reminds him of the times where he sat with eunbi in the courtyard as they ate lunch together. they would joke around and point out the beauty in the scenery before them. the wind played around with their hair as they enjoyed each other's company.

her gentle touch, her ethereal smile, her contagious laughter...

to be in her presence was the most beautiful moment of his life.

yet he was the reason behind their downfall.

and now, the craving for her is growing out of control.

opening his eyes to the cloudy sky, a tear streams down his face as his hand reaches for the unattainable.

_i hate that i love you._


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait! i've been busy with school, so updates are going to be slow now ahahaha. i hope you guys enjoy this chapter! have a nice day/night everyone :)

**_"words in my head, knives in my heart."_ **

**-** **human**

"why did i do that?!?"

eunbi shoves her face into the couch cushion and releases her inner turmoil through a loud scream.

"because you are stupid, ugly rat."

she lifts her head and shoots a glare at the young male.

"shut up, little apple."

"noona," a high-pitched voice intervenes. "can you carry me?"

the brunette looks over to see kyong with his arms up, grabbing the air with his hands. an adorable pout decorates his lips as his eyes sparkle with anticipation.

"of course!" she replies as she stands up from her sitting position and picks him up with a grin. she does a little twirl and a cheerful squeal leaves the toddler's lips, helping her forget her worries for a moment.

the two of them walk around the house as kyong exclaims about what happened at school today, his exaggerated stories through his facial and hand gestures always entertaining her. when he asks about her day, she conceals the truth of today with pretty lies.

in her peripheral vision, she notices the red-haired male simply staring at them as if he is zoning out, his lips faltering a little. kyong sees it too, so he waves his hand in front of his brother.

"hyung!" he shouts, breaking jongho from his trance. "what are you thinking about?"

he brings his gaze back to the two people before him and rolls his eyes. "nothing."

with a scheme brewing in her head, a smirk pulls on the babysitter's lips.

"kyong-ah," she says while maintaining eye contact with the young male. "i think he wants eunbi-noona to carry him as well."

his eyes widen at that statement and scoffs. "why would i want to be straddled by a gorilla?"

"noona is not a gorilla!" kyong defends with an angry pout and crossed arms. "noona is a queen!"

with a chuckle, she ruffles the little one's hair. "and you're my knight in shining armor, right?"

"yes!" he fervently nods his head.

placing kyong down, she whispers into the boy's ear and he scurries off into his room. the sound of toys being thrown around can be heard from the living room as he reappears with some objects in his arms. dropping everything to the ground, kyong crowns eunbi with a tiara before equipping himself with a helmet and a plastic sword.

the young boy points the tip of his sword toward his brother, an ambitious gaze blazing in his eyes.

"whoever insults the queen of starlight must be executed!"

with a battle cry, he charges at jongho without giving him a warning. the red-haired male begins fleeing from his little brother as kyong chases him around the house. the female watches from the couch and laughs at the two boys, their screams bouncing off the walls.

evading every piece of furniture while escaping his brother, the young male looks around for anything that would put a stop to this madness. something that the toddler knows to not swing at with his flimsy weapon. subconsciously bringing his attention to the living room, he focuses on one thing and a sinister smile spreads on his face.

the older brother then figures out a plan and grabs eunbi forward as a meat shield against kyong's fury. a squeal escapes her lips when she is suddenly pulled away from the couch, now being held in a soft chokehold. she instinctively grabs his arm and tries to break through his strength, but nothing prevails.

when the little one arrives at the scene, he gasps at the sight and he scrunches his eyebrows together.

"hyung! that's a cheap move!"

he simply shrugs at the complaint. "says the one with a sword."

the boy looks at his weapon and brings attention back to his brother. "well that's because you're the villain! you must be punished!"

the brunette simply lets out a sigh at how embarrassing these two look, arguing back and forth like the siblings they are. she does not want to stay in this position any longer, and so she does the first thing that comes to mind.

throw jongho off her back.

she gets a good grip on his arm and bends forward, the force lifting the male off his feet. she manages to flip him and his back makes a loud thump when it meets contact with the floor. she can hear a painful grunt come from jongho and a surprised squeal from kyong.

"woah!" the toddler exclaims as he drops his weapon in awe. "i didn't know noona could do that!"

rubbing her hands together, a devious smile creeps onto her lips. "there's a lot of me you don't know, kyong-ah."

"you know what? i think noona needs a new nickname." jongho lifts his upper body from the floor and rubs his back to soothe the pain, wincing at his touch. "she's an ugly gorilla."

that earns him a light smack in the head.

"say that one more time and i'll personally break your neck."

the two of them then turn their heads to kyong when they hear a small yawn, meaning that it is time for his afternoon nap. picking up the little one, eunbi leaves the living room to tuck him in his bed. she sits beside him and sings him a small lullaby to put him to sleep.

once kyong has fallen asleep, she drapes his blanket and places a kiss on his forehead before exiting his bedroom. she immediately heads to the kitchen to grab a bag full of ice and rushes to the young male, who is now lying stomach-flat on the couch.

"oh, i'm so sorry little apple. i didn't mean it." she crouches to his level and puts the ice bag on his back, a hiss slipping from his mouth.

"yeah right," he rebukes softly. "you totally did not mean to throw me onto the floor."

"oh, i did mean to do that, but i didn't think it would throw you _that_ hard."

she awaits for jongho to respond with a scoff or an eye roll, but a pause of silence seeps into their short conversation.

"so," jongho speaks up. "are you going to tell me the meaning behind all this madness?"

she turns to face him, a blank expression on her face. "i have no idea what you're talking about."

"don't lie to me," he says, voice laced with concern. "your placement in class f, the fight with siyeon and yunho, the masked singer situation, the incident that happened today... what is it that caused all of this?"

with his inquiry, a sea of memories floods into her mind as she takes in a deep breath. she averts her attention from the red-haired male to the ceiling, closing her eyes to take in every single detail of those past incidents.

because she was afraid.

because she was weak.

**_because she was selfish._ **

she leans her back against the frame of the couch and opens her eyes.

a tear streams down her face.

"noona?"

jongho leans to the side to see her crying, his eyes widening at the sight. he immediately comes off the couch to sit beside her as his arm wraps around her shoulder. she simply leans into his embrace with her emotions spilling out once more.

"there were a lot of shitty things i did..." she whispers, her voice trembling with emotion. "so will you still be by my side, even after i tell you the reason behind all of this?"

she looks over her shoulder to see jongho with a reassuring smile.

"of course, noona."

and with that, she tells the story from the very beginning, from the night that led to these events.

after an hour, kyong comes out from his room as he rubs his eyes sleepily. blinking slowly, he calls out to his babysitter to tell her about his discomfort.

"noona, i can't sleep. can you sing another song for me?"

he lets out a yawn and waddles to the living room, where he sees the two teenagers sleeping against the couch, their arms holding onto one another and their cheeks resting against one another. soft snores can be heard from where he is standing, and a small smile tugs on his lips.

with that, he scurries into his room and grabs all his blankets on his bed before heading to the couch. he clumsily throws the comfy pieces of fabric over his babysitter and his brother as he settles himself next to eunbi.

he places his head on her lap and lays down on the floor, snuggling into his blanket while he drifts into slumber once again.

subconsciously, eunbi smiles.


	57. Chapter 57

**_"where there is a flame,_ **   
**_someone's bound to get burned."_ **

**-** **try**

"ms. park, can you please explain the meaning behind this so-called 'public evalutation' that has been circulating around school lately?"

eunbi simply sits in her seat with her hands folded on her lap and a tight smile.

it is currently lunchtime, and mrs. hwang decided it was best to hold her back to discuss a specific matter that has been spreading recently. it has been the talk of the week, and the staff members had recently gotten involved. all the administrators held a meeting about this, and they shockingly agreed to proceed with this event.

all except one person.

the instructor taps her foot impatiently as she waits for eunbi to respond to her question.

"uh, no?" the girl raises her eyebrows, hoping what she said will be convincing enough for her to drop the conversation.

the teacher places her hands on her hips and leans forward, her glare staring into her student's soul. "ms. park, i know you are the reason behind this chaos. now please, tell me why you decided to challenge the whole school."

knowing that she cannot avoid this conversation, the brunette reluctantly stops resisting and explains the situation.

"so this girl was bad-talking me," she sugarcoats. "and i had enough of it, so i openly challenged her and any other haters to do their finals in public."

a disappointed sigh leaves the woman's lips as she pinches the bridge of her nose, dumbfounded by the girl's actions. to think that someone was that stubborn to put herself in so much trouble- that someone being a 2nd year student named park eunbi.

"so what are you going to do about this?" the female asks once more. "are you going to pull another of your screaming stunts like you did in the beginning? and what about your identity as the masked singer? do you think this is all fun and games?"

as if it was class time, the girl raises her hand out of habit. "actually mrs. hwang, i took some time to think about this... and i want to do a reveal."

hearing this causes the older female's eyes to widen out of surprise.

"excuse me?!? we have been working on this since the beginning of the year and now you want to put an end to it?!?"

eunbi hesitantly nods her head.

"i'm ready to move up," she states confidently. "i'm ready to show who i really am- the girl behind the mask."

the teacher dismissively shakes her head as the girl stands up from her seat, grabbing her backpack from the side. as she walks toward the exit, the woman shouts for her to stop.

"ms. park, you need to come back here!" she commands. "we are not done yet!"

halting her footsteps in front of the door, she turns her head around with a bored expression on her face.

"mrs. hwang, this conversation makes me wonder if you're using me for your own gains. it's like you're indirectly telling me that you're only helping me because it makes it look like it was you that made me into an amazing singer."

the woman slams her hand on the desk. "th-that is not right! i believe that y-you are not ready to move up! y-you need to stay here longer to improve on your vocals!"

"if you don't recall, i out-sung some of the best singers of this school during the showcase. that clearly tells me that i've been ready since the beginning."

the student opens the door and takes a step outside the classroom. "i hope you have a good day, mrs. hwang."

and then, she shuts the door on her teacher before she can respond to her statement.

her footsteps resonate in the empty hallway while she makes her way to the cafeteria, steam leaking from her ears. with the thought to cool down, an infuriated sigh leaves her lips and she decides to take a quick detour from her designated location.

making her way to the courtyard, the feeling of the gentle breeze brings a smile to her face. she can see the vivid colors of the flowers from afar and she picks up her pace to reunite with the scenery, so she can enjoy nature's beauty.

but when she arrives, she notices two people occupying the bench.

one of them being choi san.

she watches from a distance as he talks to the girl beside him with a gentle smile painted on his lips. with his finger pointing at the different plants, he excitedly tells her about each one while she listens inventively.

to think that the black-haired male has the audacity to bring someone else to this place.

to _their_ place.

continuing with her observation, soojin's eyes brighten at the sight of one of the flowers and asks him what the name of it was and the meaning behind it.

yellow daffodils, a symbol of unrequited love.

that was the first one eunbi taught san.

not wanting to watch the interaction no more, the brunette leaves the scene with a heavy heart. her hands are balled in fists and an exhausted breath escapes her lips as she heads to somewhere away from the courtyard.

she hates how everyone is toying with her.

maybe it's time for her to put an end to all of this.


	58. Chapter 58

**_"look at the stars."_ **

**-** **yellow**

"do it again."

eunbi sighs when she hears her cousin tell her that, shouting in the microphone again. she gives it her all into this last recording before her voice begins straining. her chest rises up and down as her last breath leaves her lips.

yoongi, who is on the other side of the glass, leans back in his chair and flashes her a gummy smile once she finishes. he lifts his hand and gives her a thumbs-up, earning a tired smile from the girl.

the two of them leave the studio and meet up at the lobby, and the first thing the younger relative does is rest her head against the male's chest. she feels a hand pat her head and a pleasant hum vibrates in her throat.

"have some water," he says as he hands her a water bottle from his small bag. "you worked hard today."

she takes the drink and slowly allows it to go down her throat, the refreshing sensation cooling down her overworked vocal muscles. with a grumbling tummy, a sheepish smile pulls on her lips and her sparkling eyes look at her cousin.

knowing what she wants, he rolls his eyes as they head to their vehicle. they buckle up their seat belts and yoongi pulls out of the parking lot to enter the bustling streets. he blasts his own-produced music and together, they jam out in the car.

"daechwita, daechwita, play it louder, daechwita!"

eunbi aggressively bops her head to the beat and earns a strong slap on the shoulder. looking over her shoulder, she shoots the male a glare while she rubs her joint in pain.

"you're only hurting your voice if you keep doing that," he scolds.

the girl crosses her arms and sinks into her seat.

as they proceeded with the drive, yoongi decided to start a certain conversation with her.

"eunbi, you're in the vocal department, right?" he asks, receiving a hum of confirmation from her. "then why are you performing... that one piece for your final? it's not really suited for a vocalist like you."

in the corner of his eye, he notices her figure stiffen when he throws the question out.

she bites her lips nervously but tells him about her situation anyways.

"do you remember that one time when my roommate was bullying me? well, she was making more drama with me and i got fed up with her, so i made a deal with her and all the haters in the school that involves a public evaluation."

hearing this makes the male let out a disappointed sigh. "why am i not surprised?"

a scoff erupts from eunbi's throat. "because i am a bad bitch."

"yeah, a bad bitch who always comes home crying about her sad love life."

"yah! don't expose me like that!"

yoongi lets out a hearty laugh, which then is followed by that of his cousin. the two of them enjoy this moment of joy and forget about their talk as they park the car at their designated location. exiting the vehicle, they head into the building and approach the cashier.

after they order their food and their drinks, they claim their window seats and watch the cars passing by while people on the sidewalk. the mixed scent of brewed tea and coffee fill their noses as the small fairy lights decorate their skin with small, white dots.

"two orders for jjangg jjang man boong boong!"

the two brunettes look over to the counter to see seokjin in his working attire holding up their drinks with a smile before leaving their seats.

"so how was the first recording session?" the older male asks as he hands his relatives their food and drinks.

the girl lets out a sigh in response to his question. "it was so tiring, my throat hurts after hours of yelling."

"now you understand our pain." yoongi takes a sip of his iced americano.

"did i ask for your opinion?" she leans toward him and snaps her fingers.

"shut it before i eat your egg sandwich," yoongi snaps back.

she gasps as she swipes her food from the counter and takes one huge bite from the sandwich.

the eldest relative shakes his head disappointingly as he shoos them from the counter, so he can call the next order. making their way back to their seats, both of them continue to bicker among one another with their mocking voices.

from afar, someone recognizes the feminine voice and diverts their attention from their companions to identify the person. they bring their cup of tea to their mouth as their eyes lock onto her figure, eyes widening at the sight.

someone else from their table stands up, a smile decorating their lips.

"eunbi's here," yunho notifies his friends. "she's here with yoongi-hyung."

"yoongi-hyung?" mingi tilts his head to the side. "who's that?"

"her cousin- he's pretty cool once you get to know him."

seonghwa scrunches his eyebrows together, confused due to his friend's particular comment. "how do you know who he is?"

yunho rolls his eyes before a proud smile pulls on his lips. "i know where she lives, so i decided to pick her up one morning and i met her relatives."

"what?!?"

"she never told us that!"

"oh! tell us!"

"i want to know where she lives!"

"i feel betrayed."

the light brunette smirks as he slowly leaves the table. "well, i guess she likes me that much."

san remains silent, listening to the conversation, while a familiar feeling blooms in his chest. his eyes never leave his tall friend, who greets the two of them and initiates a talk with them. placing a hand over his heart, a piercing sensation strikes once he sees eunbi's smile towards yunho.

_is this what wooyoung meant when he said that he will regret it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since 2020 is coming to an end, i want to thank you guys for reading this story and being patient with my updates. the amount of support i get from you guys is something i cherish a lot. i hope you all continue to stay safe and healthy during these times and keep on working hard :>


	59. Chapter 59

_**"where there is hope,** _

_**there is always hardship."** _

**-sea**

"so, i'll see you after lunch?"

eunbi nods with a small smile as she hugs the tall male. "yeah, i'll see you later yunho."

walking away from him, her friend from the side nudges her arm with a lopsided grin. when they arrive at the rooftop, hana wiggles her eyebrows and an excited giggle escapes her mouth."i've noticed that you and yunho have been hanging out a lot."

"we're just catching up, that's all." the brunette shrugs before settling herself on the floor and grabbing her lunchbox. however, her lips betray her nonchalant response by spreading wider into a bright smile.

noticing the subtle change, hana smirks and nudges her once more. "you know, don't you?"

"i have no idea what you are talking about," eunbi says while plopping a clump of rice into her mouth. "there is nothing between us."

"you say that, but have you seen how he looks at you? it's as if you're his whole world!"

enubi's cheeks turn the color of bright pink cotton candy.

lately, she has been spending her free time with yunho, whether it is trying out the new menu at a fast-food restaurant, staying after school to watch him practice for finals, or talking on the phone late at night. nowadays, he picks her up from home to drive her to school and always escorts her to class as well as lunch. every time they depart from one another, they pull each other in an embrace before leaving to do their own things.

out of all the chaos she has been through, her rebuilt friendship has been the best thing that has been happening to her.

just thinking about this makes her heart race.

"you're probably seeing things," the brunette denies. "he couldn't have developed feelings for me right after breaking up with siyeon."

"girl, i'm pretty sure he likes you." the pink-haired girl flips her hair off her shoulder as she rolls her eyes. "trust me on this."

"whatever."

the door leading to the roof then opens and someone peers their head into the area. hearing the sound, the two girls turn their heads around to see who it is only for hana's face to be drowning in red.

"ah, hello." yeosang does a little bow before walking over to them. "am i interrupting anything?"

a smirk pulls on eunbi's lips as she pats the space next to her female companion. "nope! you came just in time! come sit here and enjoy lunch with us!"

once he sits down, he timidly initiates a conversation with hana, who shyly responds to his words. eventually, the two of them immerse themselves in their own world as they enjoy the moment together.

the brunette smiles at the sight unfolding in front of her as she finishes her lunch and places her box into her backpack. lying on the ground, she stays quiet for her friends to bond with one another and she watches the clouds decorate the blue sky. her skin basks underneath the sunlight and her eyelids press against each other for a brief moment.

deep in her thoughts, she can hear hana's voice echo in the emptiness of her mind.

"have you seen how he looks at you? it's as if you're his whole world!"

"girl, i'm pretty sure he likes you."

she knows.

it's so obvious.

it's so obvious that her first love has feelings for her.

the way he talks to her, the way he looks at her, the way he holds her, the way he smiles at her...

it's so obvious.

but, she can't return those feelings.

not yet.

not when he still roams her mind.

she opens her eyes to be greeted by the bright sky and her friends' voices once more. she lifts her head to see hana feeding yeosang some of her lunch, both of their sides pressed against one another. the lovely grins they wore remind her of the most beautiful moment of her life.

to be in san's presence.

a heavy sigh leaves her lips after the lunch bell rings throughout the school. everyone cleans up the mess they made on the roof before they begin their way down the stairs. hana and yeosang walk beside one another as eunbi lags behind, not wanting to third wheel at the moment. on the way, they meet a familiar light brunette male, who is making his way up to the roof.

"ah, there you are eunbi-nie!" yunho exclaims as he places his arm around her shoulders. "let's go to your class, shall we?"

in the corner of the girl's eye, she can see her friends winking at her, but she ignores them and flashes her friend a smile. "you know that you don't have to escort me to class every time. i can always go by myself."

"but i want to do this."

at this point, her heart is pounding against her chest.

she rolls her eyes as they continue their way in the hallway. "don't blame me if you're late to class."

"you know me; i run really fast." his hand gently holds onto her arm while he leans his head onto hers. "let's hurry though, so i don't have to sprint my way back."

she lets out a laugh as she pushes his head off her. "yeah, yeah whatever."

they start talking about their time at lunch after she stopped resisting his actions, laughing to their heart's content. once in a while, they bring up their fond childhood memories and embarrass each other with more of those memories.

they may not know, but their hearts are beating in sync.

she will eventually have to move on from the past, just like before.


	60. Chapter 60

**_"well you look like yourself,_ **  
**_but you're somebody else."_ **

**-you're somebody else**

"min sonyoung- 78 votes!"

the crowd goes wild as the girl bows to the audience, a proud smile written on her face after taking the lead in the point system. gracefully walking down the stairs, she flashes the next participant a sinister grin.

"we're definitely going to get her to leave," she says, her voice laced in malice.

siyeon returns an identical grin as she passes by her friend. "once i take the lead, there will be no possibility for that bitch to win."

today is the day of the public evaluation, where those who hold grudges against eunbi participate in a contest to see who can achieve the most points from the audience. the crowd is filled with people of the community, so no biased votes can be inserted throughout the event.

the light blond girl confidently walks onto the stage as the crowd is still discussing the previous performance they witnessed. her footsteps echo from the platform, a bright smile on her lips, and all eyes are now on her. standing in the middle of the attention, she does a polite bow to the people in front of her before introducing herself.

"hello! i am kim siyeon, a student from class a. today, i will be dancing to "city girls" by chris brown and young thug. i hope you enjoy!"

she receives excited applause from the audience and the music begins playing. naturally, her body starts swaying to the beat until lyrics flow through, her dance moves coming to life. her expression changed immediately and the whole atmosphere on the stage adjusts to her charisma.

she has always loved dancing ever since she was a kid. when she was younger, she participated in every talent show and won each one in her category. her parents would be in the back, cheering her on, with huge posters in their hands. hearing her name chanted over and over brought confidence to her while she performs on stage.

and in the sea of people, one of her biggest supporters cheered her on.

that person was park eunbi.

she was one of the reasons why she wanted to pursue her dreams of becoming a dancer. her encouragement was like the fire to the gasoline, fueling the desire from within her. every compliment she gave her is like taking a step closer to her goal.

eunbi meant the world to her.

so when she found that they were going to one of the best performing arts schools, she bursted into tears and hugged the life out of the girl. she never once thought she would be achieving her dreams along with her best friend.

but everything stopped on the day of their evaluation.

eunbi's piercing shriek rang throughout the stage as siyeon watched in horror. the vibration of her voice brought chills down her spine, eyes widened at the sight. her excitement dies down and disappointment fills her emptiness.

she was speechless, absolutely speechless.

her? a vocalist?

she remembers how she let out a dumbfounded laugh at the sound of the horrible performance. 

from there, her superiority complex was born. she wanted to be around those who were talented, who were gifted, who were worth the friendship. she wanted to make her way to the top, where she belonged.

she was better than eunbi, and no one can change that.

striking her final pose, siyeon stands on stage with her chest rising up and down. silence washes over the crowd at the amazing dance they have witnessed as the announcer tells the people to put their votes. the sound of points calculating can be heard from behind her until a long beep echoes along the platform, causing her to close her eyes.

slowly, she turns around to see her score and gasps in surprise at the sight while the announcer speaks into their microphone.

"kim siyeon- 89 votes!"

the audience cheers loudly for the girl, whistles and shouts resonating in her ears. her hands tremble with happiness and a proud smile makes its way to her lips as she turns around, bowing to the people before her.

she rushes down the stairs to see all her friends from class a congratulating her and she hugs all of them with the excitement she has. tears of joy slip from her face as those around her continue to compliment her on her performance.

she was better than eunbi, and no one can change that.

abruptly, the noise around her becomes quiet and whispers begin circulating questions around the area. she notices how her friends are pointing at the stage as if a new contestant decided to challenge the new high score.

"what is she doing here?"

"does she hold a grudge against eunbi?"

"this is a good thing though, right? like if she performs, then eunbi would have no chance of winning."

curious of this person they are talking about, siyeon shifts her gaze from her companions to the stage to see a person with a mask on stage with a microphone.

the masked singer has decided to participate in the event.

the light blond girl's lips curve into a lopsided grin, a mischievous chuckle erupting from her throat.

not only did eunbi get most of class a to hate her, but one of the best singers of the school as well. with that, the score will be so high that even eunbi herself cannot be able to achieve.

this could not get any better.

to think that eunbi would be stubborn enough to plan her own defeat like that.

since everyone was anticipating her introduction, the masked singer lifts the microphone to her mouth and speaks into it.

"hello everyone!" she exclaims, allowing everyone to hear her speaking voice for the first time. "i am the masked singer from class f and today-"

immediately, siyeon gets struck with realization and muffles everyone's voice.

_no... this can't be._

siyeon suddenly breaks into a run to the sound booth, anger flowing through her veins. she can hear her friends shouting at her, but she pays no attention to them.

_this can't be real._

the masked singer, who is oblivious of the girl's actions, faces the crowd with a grin on her face, moving to the music a little. the audience copies her movements with their eyes closed as they immerse themselves to the soft sounds of her song's instrumental. knowing that her cue to sing is approaching, the brunette takes in a huge breath before bring the lyrics to life with her voice.

the people who were working at the sound booth notice an unauthorized person entering the backstage and one of the workers blocked siyeon's path, so she cannot fiddle around with anything and ruin the occurring performance.

"hey!" they shout quietly. "you're not supposed to be here!"

_this can't be happening._

siyeon can feel her hands holding her back as she tries to get to the cords. not going down without a fight, she struggles to get through these people's grasps, slowly inching closer to her goal.

_this can't be true._

an inhumane screech leaves her lips.

out of all the people...

why did eunbi have to be the masked singer?


	61. Chapter 61

**_"welcome to the final show."_ **

**-sign of the times**

"hello everyone! i am the masked singer from class f and today i will be singing for you. hope you enjoy!"

eunbi stands on the stage in her typical grey sweater and black sweatpants as the audience does a polite applause, a simple white mask on her face. her eyes scan the perimeter to see her friends in the back with widened eyes, recognizing her voice when she spoke. she can tell that everyone except for yeosang and jongho are in denial about her hidden identity.

spotting a familiar light blond girl on the side, she notices how infuriated siyeon is before she rushes away from her sight. the people around that female look at each other confusedly, calling out her name, before giving up and deciding to enjoy the show.

gradually, the music to her performance piece seeps into the silence and everyone takes a moment to listen to the instrumental. the sound of the piano brings ease to them as they anticipate for the girl on stage to sing for them.

to think that this is her last time performing as the masked singer.

eunbi recalls the memories of strangers cheering her on during the showcase and the dance, the nonjudgmental gazes she received throughout her performance. when she felt the exhilaration, the satisfaction, the attention for the first time, she wanted to keep these feelings to herself. they made her feel so good about herself despite all the struggles she has been persevering through.

but like everything in life, some things come to an end.

she needs to stop cowering in the shadows and show the world who she really is.

so once the time comes, she lifts her microphone and brings her voice to life.

"i purposefully take a few steps back

i look at you walking without me.

there is a void beside you

upon the gray road you look back."

in the moment, she closes her eyes to immerse herself in the music as the words of this song remind her of her heartbreaking experiences. an image of someone's back faces her while they continue moving forward, their arms around someone else. she recognizes the person in an instant when they turn their head to the side.

a bittersweet smile paints her lips.

"i knew just then

that i can't leave you.

no matter how many problems we face

it's easier to withstand, than breaking up."

she gradually opens her eyes and makes eye contact with a person in the back of the audience as she stretches her arm to them, her hand asking them to take it.

"how can i even love the heartbreak

when you're the one i love.

i can't give up on us solely because of love

and experience heart wrenching pain."

that person may not know, but eunbi is willing to start their relationship from scratch.

she is willing to be on good terms despite all the pain they have inflicted on her.

she is willing to do anything to have them back, even if she has to endure this scrutinizing pain a little longer.

"should i turn back a couple of times?

we walk along together upon the desolate road

conversation lacking substance

we look out into the distance where the light shines."

to recall the happy memories she shared with that person blooms butterflies in her stomach, the fluttering sensation bringing chills down her spine. her smiles brightens a little before she drops her arm to the side with trembling lips.

"i realized just then

i can longer move forth.

every step brings me closer to our breakup

your hand i used to hold seems to vanish."

she said that she is willing to wait for them...

but she's slipping away.

she's slipping away from them and her love for them is dying.

she does not know how much time she has left, but she will eventually move on if they don't do something about it.

"how can i even love the heartbreak

when you're the one i love, hoh

i can't give up on us solely because to love

and experience heart wrenching pain, no woah oh hoh."

yet she does not want to give up.

she fell in love with them for a reason, and she does not want those moments she shared with them go to waste. she craves for the warm feelings that lingered in her body after each smile, each laugh, each touch. she's trying to hold onto until the time comes, but she can feel her grasp become weaker as time goes by.

"how could i, to you

our love so deep as the ocean

waiting till it runs dry will be our farewell

how could i, to you

our love so deep as the ocean

waiting till it runs dry will be our farewell."

despite her cheerful smile, a stray tear manages to drip down her cheek once she finishes singing.

"how can i love the heartbreak, you're the one i love" by akmu: a song about unconditionally loving someone.

this song portrays all the feelings she has for someone, and she hopes all her emotions reached them from this far. she wanted to try one time to make things right before she gives up everything and moves on with her life.

 _san_ , she wishes to call out. _my sanshine, i miss you._

if it doesn't work though, it doesn't matter at this point because she needs to focus on something else.

in the center of the stage, she waits in silence as the crowd put in their votes for her performance. she can barely lift her gaze from the floor after speaking her mind, slightly embarrassed about displaying her vulnerable side at the end.

nonetheless, the announcer steps out of the side and proudly exclaims the score she has received.

"the masked singer..."

everyone does a drum roll to build the anticipation.

"95 votes!"

the crowd goes haywire, screams and shouts filling eunbi's ears, as the girl sheepishly stands with a grin. she does a small bow and waves at the people before her, but she does not leave the stage as requested by the announcer.

"may all the participants come onto the stage?"

hearing that calls those who have performed today to walk on stage with smug grins plastered on their faces. they look around themselves to see if that one student from class f was present with them, which she wasn't. with that, the announcer notices this and speaks into their microphone once more.

"now that most of the participants have performed, may we have park eunbi come on stage?"

that is her cue.

loud music suddenly begins playing on stage, startling everyone, as the masked singer walks to the front of the stage with her microphone. with the familiar beats pounding in her head, a smirk makes its way to her lips and a hand slithers into her pants pocket to grab something.

all eyes are on her once again, watching her stagger to the music with a devilish grin.

"this is for the haters out there!" she shouts excitedly, eyeing the people on the stage. "so i hope you enjoy this present i have for you!"

after all that practice she had with taehyung, she manages to yank her mask off when she quickly turns her head to the side. her free hand puts on the black bucket hat she stored in her pockets and her eyes take in the reactions she has been looking for, her heavy footsteps stomping on every contestant's pride.

"i am park eunbi, the girl behind the mask! and the girl you have been doubting on your entire life!"

and immediately, she starts performing once more.

" 'name, name!' sorry bae.

'pronunciation, pronunciation!' sorry bae.

'diction, diction, diction!' sorry bae.

'oh face not an idol!' sorry bae."

she slowly approaches those on the platform with her menacing gaze, causing them to take a few steps back out of fear. both her hands come together on the microphone and form an apologetic gesture as a way to taunt them.

"because i'm breathing, i'm sorry bae.

because i'm too healthy, i'm sorry bae.

i'm on the air, i'm sorry bae.

errthing errthing errthing

sorry bae."

jumping backwards, she puts all her infuriated emotions into this rap and allows her hand to gesture the lyrics.

"click clack to the bang, you and you!

i'm always thankful, for not earning anything so easily!

why is it my fault, that your life is noncommittal?

keep on living like that vaguely!

sorry but continue to look

because i'm gonna earn more from now!

by all means please live healthily."

she swiftly turns herself to the audience, seeing that they are hyped up, and throws her hand up into the air and ushers them to jump to the beat. without hesitation, everyone stands up from their seats and starts moving their body to the music.

"i love, i love, i love myself!

i love, i love, i love myself!

i know, i know, i know myself!

ya playa haters you should love yourself, brr!"

knowing that this performance is coming to an end, she stands still and glances at every person on the stage.

"i love, i love, i love myself!

i love, i love, i love myself!

i know, i know, i know myself!"

she raises her hand and points at them with a mischievous smile.

"ya playa haters you should love yourself, brr!"

to end this epic show, she drops the microphone to the floor and the echo of her last breath travels throughout the perimeter. her chest rises up and down while the emotions she bottled up within herself releases into the atmosphere. she can hear the crowd applauding her for the surprise and she raises her fist into the air.

"cypher pt.4" by bts.

although she took a small excerpt from it, this song was personally written by her cousins to diss their haters.

and she knows that it did its job to portray that...

because each and every one of them is trembling in her presence.

looking to the side, she can see her friends with their jaws hanging open after her powerful performance.

this is the reaction she was looking forward to.


	62. Chapter 62

**_"it goes electric,_ **   
**_wavy when i turn it on."_ **

**-** **_can't stop this feeling_ **

"welcome to class a!"

eunbi enters her new classroom to make eye contact with her new instructor, who smiles at her appearance. seeing that she is the last person to arrive, the girl does a little bow to her before she quietly closes the door behind her.

the teacher shows her an empty seat in the back and the student immediately settles herself, feeling awkward being the center of attention in a room full of her competitors.

after the public evaluation, the judges hidden in the audience approached the contestants on stage while everyone dispersed from the scene. they passed out folded pieces of paper to the students and told them to not open them until everyone else has done their finals.

when the time came, each teacher handed out the results of the remaining students and made their students stand in front of the classroom. they listed out the class levels and if the person hears the class level that was on their paper, they will leave the classroom to go to their new one.

the woman notices eunbi’s late presence and lifts her clipboard from her desk, crossing out the last person on the roster. "now i can begin talking with everyone here."

as the instructor explains about her expectations and future events, eunbi's ears perk at the sound of her name coming up in a side conversation. she tries to ignore and focus on the words of her teacher, but she cannot help herself from listening to the group of girls nearby.

"i can't believe that eunbi chick is here," one says as she eyes the said girl. "she isn't even that good."

another female rolls her eyes and snickers. "she sounds like a crying whale when she sings."

"she's not going to last for long," someone adds. "just wait until she quits-"

"ehem."

everyone's attention lays on the instructor, her face twisted with annoyance. she walks up to her students and towers over them with her figure as she waves her pencil at them.

"i do not remember tolerating gossip in this class." a fake smile tugs on the woman's lips. "if you do not recall, ms. park earned the highest score during her public evaluation against all those people last week. she also won the showcase in this department, so i wouldn't be talking bad about someone who is this talented."

at this point, everyone has their mouth shut to prevent anything from spilling out. a hint of fear is present in the students' eyes as a chill travels down their spine. silence washes over the classroom, and the teacher brings herself back to the front of the room.

"before i forget-" the older female grabs a pile of papers at her podium and passes them out. "when we come back from break, we will be participating in competition among all the performing arts schools in seoul. this is the piece we will be working on. make sure you practice because we will be nominating the best students once everyone is back."

abruptly, the school bell rings and everyone begins packing their belongings. a trail of people seeps out of the room as the last student takes their time getting ready to head. eunbi slings her backpack over her shoulder and is about to head out until her teacher stops her.

"park eunbi, i have heard so much about you."

the girl turns around and flashes her a smile. "oh really?"

"yeah, mrs. hwang talked about you all the time during staff breaks. she said that you were her work of art, her creation."

hearing that makes the student's smile falter a little, but she quickly brings it back up to not make her reaction noticeable. "that's nice to hear."

the brunette slides the door open and before she steps outside the classroom, the teacher adds one more thing to the conversation.

"don’t worry, i don’t believe anything that she says.”

this causes the girl to turn around once again, a perplexed expression on her face.

"the emotions, the style of singing, the wide note range..." the older female taps her chin. "i don't think she taught you those if i am correct; it would take years to perfect those. it makes me wonder if you purposely failed the first evaluation."

the girl presses her lips into a thin lip, preventing her from commenting on her teacher's analysis. no one needs to know about her motive behind that day, especially the staff at this school.

"i practiced a lot," she simply says. "i spent countless nights trying to improve my singing through this school year."

she can tell that the woman is not buying her excuse, but lets her off anyways with a flick of her hand. "well then, it was nice meeting you ms. park."

"same goes to you..."

"mrs. jeon."

eunbi politely bows at mrs. jeon before she exits the room and reluctantly collides into someone standing in front of the door. she stumbles backward and holds her forehead in pain as her eyebrows arch downward with irritation. looking up from the floor, she glares at the person without addressing them.

"yah, watch where you are going."

yunho raises his hands in surrender while rolling his eyes. "sorry your majesty, but you were taking so long. i was going to grab you and drag you out since everyone wants to hang out and discuss the plans for this break."

"ah." she lifts her chin a little as she recalls the conversation at lunch today. "let's go then. i don't want them to wait longer than they should have."

the brunette takes a step forward, but her friend does not budge one bit. with his hand out towards her, she raises an eyebrow at it and looks back at the male. "uh, are we going to go or are we just going to stand here in front of my class?"

he lets out a disappointed sigh at his friend's dense comprehension of the situation and simply takes her hand. fingers intertwine with one another and together they escape the building.

this reminds eunbi of the time when he dragged her out of school to help him with his dance proposal, hands holding each other as they maneuvered around the people in the hallway. there was not even a slight reaction once it happened.

there was never a shocking feeling from the contact that crawled up her arm and dispersed throughout her body like a supernova, a sensation like no other. his skin against hers was not an addictive touch that made her want to keep him for herself.

yet why is she feeling these now?


	63. Chapter 63

**_"i knew i loved you then,_ **   
**_but you'll never know."_ **

**-say you won't let go**

"eunbi-ah! sit next to me!"

wooyoung waves his hand to catch the pair's attention as they enter the cafe. the girl quickly spots the table that he was at and makes her way to the black-haired male, plopping herself next to him with a smile. with no available seat around her, yunho reluctantly takes a seat on the other end of the table.

clasping his hands together, the male looks around to see that everyone is present for this meeting. his excitement seeps through his giggles while he begins talking.

"today, we will be discussing our hangout during break!"

the conversation then explodes into chattering, numerous people suggesting different plans for their hangout. some like yeosang and eunbi simply stay quiet and listen to these ideas and join the chat for a while as others like mingi constantly spout every little thing that appears in their heads.

yet all except one person contributes to their process of planning, and wooyoung notices it.

san slouches against his chair with his arms cross as an expression of discomfort washes over his face. his eyes never once leaves the surface of the table as a small sigh leaves his lips, his hands lifting his drink to his mouth. he turns his head to the side to watch the cars pass by the cafe with a melancholy gaze.

a small frown tugs on wooyoung's lips.

he can tell that the words he told him that day have been on his mind lately, and he's glad it is. every time he sees yunho and eunbi together, there's a hint of regret that glimmers in the male's eyes before he shifts his gaze to somewhere else.

yet for some reason, he still hasn't made a move.

softly nudging his friend, he gains the dazed boy's attention and notices how his eyebrows are scrunched together in annoyance.

"what do you want?" san says in a moody tone. "i don't have time for your nonsense."

_oof, that stung._

disregarding the remark, wooyoung whispers into his ear. "san-ah, you need to contribute to the conversation."

he earns an eye roll and a scoff from the male once he backs away from him. "why would i need to contribute if i'm not planning to go?"

his statement comes off a little too loud to his liking and wooyoung looks over to his shoulder to see eunbi blinking a few times with a confused look on her face. she stares at them, appearing as if she overheard them talking among themselves. by the way she raises her eyebrow at them, it can be told that she did not like what she heard.

she's the last person they needed to intervene in the conversation.

but nonetheless, wooyoung tilts his head to the side, implying that she should try convincing san to take part in the session. the other male simply shifts his gaze to the window once more to avoid the awkwardness.

a small sigh leaves her lips before she places a hand on the black-haired male beside her.

"you can't force him," the girl says, which was surprising to the both of them. "if he doesn't want to participate, then that's his choice."

wooyoung's jaw drops at her words as he looks back and forth between his two friends. he tries to get a sound to come out from his mouth, but only silence could be heard from him.

he did not expect her to defend his best friend, especially not after that incident.

he looks over to san, who is now staring at eunbi with no emotions whatsoever. the corner of his lips twitch a little, as if he has something to say, while the tips of his ears slowly become red.

after a few seconds of silence, the quiet male turns his head away from her.

changing his focus to the female beside him, wooyoung notes that eunbi seems like she expected that reaction from the black-haired male. the small smile she once wore is now pressed into a thin line and she reluctantly takes a sip of her drink.

wooyoung lets out a quiet sigh and lets his arms cross over his chest before bringing his attention back to the conversation. it’s infuriating that san is being stubborn, yet there is so little he can do about it.

nonetheless, the group eventually came to consensus that they would hold a sleepover at yunho's house one day since his parents were the most lenient out of everyone else's parents. they remained at the cafe until an hour before closing time, talking about anything that came to mind whether it was mingi bumping into a pole on the way to the cafe or eunbi's experience in her new class.

when the time to depart came, everyone except eunbi collects their belongings and begins to seep out of the building. yeosang and jongho notify the boys that they were going to walk hanna home since the older male was sleeping over at jongho's house and her house isn't far from that of the younger male's. the remaining people surround yunho's car and are about to file into the vehicle until hongjoong notices something.

"guys?" the older blond male says, earning the group's attention. "there's six of us, but five seats."

the boys bring their gazes to the interior of the car, confirming that indeed there are only five seats. yunho is the only one who can drive, so only four seats were available for the remaining of them. one of them is either walking back to the dorms by themselves or staying back to wait for another ride.

since no one wants to be left behind, everyone discusses the plan to fit everyone in the car, whether it is squishing four of them in the back seats or even having one of them in the trunk. seonghwa, being the one with integrity, argues against these ideas and their discussion prolongs for a few minutes. ideas are thrown back and forth in the conversation without stop, solutions being rejected in an instant.

wooyoung mindlessly turns his head toward the cafe and notices how eunbi is still waiting for her ride to pick her up. the brunette takes a sip from her drink as her beautiful eyes focus on a piece of paper on the table, her adorable lips moving as if she is reciting a song. her delicate fingers make their way to her face to brush her soft hair behind her ear.

in an instant, an idea pops up in the black-haired male's head.

swiftly, the boy raises his hand to bring everyone's focus to him, a cunning grin plastered on his lips. he makes eye contact with his best friend, and san immediately gets the gist of what is happening.

san opens his mouth to protest, but wooyoung's loud voice overcomes it.

"san volunteers to stay behind!" he exclaims. "he said that he can ask eunbi for a ride back!"

san smacks his face with his hand and drags it downward, dreading the fact that wooyoung set him up. the male is about to lift his fist and pummel his friend to death until seonghwa speaks up.

"that could work. thank you san for volunteering." the young man gives the black-haired male a small hug before heading into the vehicle.

wooyoung, being the last one to enter the car, snickers at him with lips curved into a devious smile as he places himself into the car. everyone snuggles close to each other for warmth while yunho starts the car.

staring out from the window, the black-haired male watches his friend enter the building once more. the lonely girl perks her head up at the sound of the bells chiming at the entrance, and a small smile makes its ways onto her lips when she recognizes the person at the entrance. san nervously rubs the back of his neck and slowly walks towards the table she is at, taking a seat a few chairs away from her.

wooyoung brings his gaze back to his fiddling hands once the car leaves the parking lot and immerses itself into the streets of seoul. a heavy sigh leaves his lips and an aching pain lingers on his heart.

he lied.

he lied about everything.

he lied about planning everything from the start.

he lied about acting everything out.

he lied about...

_not having feelings for eunbi._

to be honest, he wanted her to himself.

he wanted to shower her with all the love he has for her.

he wanted to feel that electric feeling every time their skin touches.

he wanted to be the one to make her happy...

because she was the light that showed him the way from the darkness, and he will be forever grateful for that.

but only one person can bring her the happiest moments of her life...

_his best friend, san._

wooyoung leans his head against seonghwa's shoulder.

san may think that he is a coward...

but wooyoung is the biggest coward out of the two of them.


End file.
